Jantzen
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| Jantzen | |
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| Type | LLC |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Headquarters |
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| Industry | Apparel/Accessories |
| Products | Swimwear and coverups for professional and recreational swimming |
| Website | www.Jantzen.com |
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Jantzen swimwear was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1910. Jantzen’s “Red Diving Girl” logo is recognized worldwide. Styling and quality remain the key elements in maintaining Jantzen’s position as the number one producer of branded swimwear.
Today, the company is headquartered in Portland. It is owned and marketed by Perry Ellis International in Miami, Florida.
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[edit] History
John Zehntbauer, Carl Jantzen and C.R. Zehntbauer founded Portland Knitting Company, the predecessor of Jantzen Inc, in January 1910 in Portland, Oregon. It was a small knitting concern above a retail store in downtown Portland that made and sold sweaters, woolen hosiery and knit goods. The founders were all members of the Portland Rowing Club. In 1913 Carl Jantzen was asked to provide a rowing suit for use in the chilly mornings on the Willamette River.
Jantzen designed a one-piece garment of 100% pure virgin wool that made on a sweater cuff machine. It weighed 8 lbs when wet. A lighter weight version became the prototype for the rib-stitch bathing suits that were first produced in 1915. The suits, called “Jantzens” became so popular that the company changed their name to Jantzen Knitting Mills in June 1918.
Following World War I, national advertising began in 1921 with ads illustrating Jantzen suits placed in Vogue and the old Life Magazine. Jantzen was a leader in promotion of its new product. The cover of the ads featured the “Red Diving Girl” which became adopted as the logo of the company and recognizable worldwide. By 1932, it was reportedly the seventh most known trademark in the world.
In the 1940s, business perked after Jantzen added sweaters, girdles and active sportswear to its basic swimwear line. The bikini was introduced in France in 1946 to set the style for brevity in swimwear and became a worldwide fashion classic. A 1960's advertising campaign titled "Just wear a Smile and a Jantzen" was popular. Sponsors like Kodak, Ford Motor and United Airlines invited "Smile Contest" winners from each state to an annual contest in the Hawaiian Islands. Top contestants were featured in national advertising campaigns.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s swimwear fashions became more sophisticated. Jantzen recognized that working women wanted attractive beachwear for weekends and vacations. In some resort areas, swim separates, cover-ups, and ankle-length beach skirts completed many swimsuit ensembles. Jantzen began to work with nylon and spandex to add stretch that holds shape. Jantzen also introduced a Trikini, combining a string bikini worn underneath a lacy, semi-transparent maillot.
In 1980 Jantzen was purchased by Blue Bell Inc, which merged into Blue Bell Holding Co. Inc. by 1984. Blue Bell was acquired by Vanity Fair Corporation two years later in 1986. A significant change occurred in 1995 when management opted to exit from production of menswear and concentrate on women’s apparel. Swimwear had been the key product when Jantzen first emerged as a nationally recognized company.
[edit] Today
In 2002, the Jantzen trademark was purchased by Perry Ellis International, Inc. This included the licenses of Nike and Jag Swimwear. Perry Ellis International, Inc markets products in over 40 different categories in the United States and in more than 26 countries worldwide.
[edit] Advertising
[edit] Logo
Jantzen’s iconic Diving Girl first made her appearance in 1920 wearing a daring red suit, stocking cap, and stockings, in a design by Frank and Florenz Clark. In 1923 she first appeared on Jantzen swimming suits. Over the years the stockings and stocking cap disappeared, in the late 1940s she went strapless and in the 1980s she was modernized once again. The Diving Girl built the brand and was the splash heard around the world. She is recognized nationally and internationally as one of the longest lived apparel icons. The Diving Girl is still visible today incorporated in all aspects and synonymous with brand identity.
| 1920's | 1940's | Today |
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[edit] Slogans
- 1923: “The Suit That Changed Bathing to Swimming”
- 1960: “Just Wear a Smile and a Jantzen”
- 1990: The Jantzen power bra proclaimed “It Must Be Magic”
[edit] Marketing strategies
Non-traditional marketing started in the 1950s with fiberglass figures and aerial banners. Jantzen's fiberglass diving girl is placed in key markets to attract attention. She is 17'4" in length from her fingers to her toes and 19' from her fingers, around her body, to the end of her feet. The Jantzen Diving Girl banner flies over key cities during peak markets/seasons to attract attention.
With the advance of color offset technology in the late 60's and early 70's and the increasing importance of high quality print ads and catalogues, fine photography became an important part of the Jantzen identity. Highly regarded Northwest photographers such as Portland's, Sjef Wildschut produced the images for ad campaigns to rival those of the larger centers of commerce such as LA or New York. Though a regional brand, Jantzen kept pace with international standards of presentation and style.
Jantzen's use of traditional media for commercial advertising is one of the many reasons they are the number one producer of branded swimwear . Jantzen's print advertisements have been featured in magazines such as Glamour, In Style, Vogue, CosmoGIRL!, and many more. Jantzen has advertisements featured on billboards in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles. In 2006 Jantzen partnered with IPITV Production and "LifeStyle" television series and created a segment exclusively on the Jantzen brand. It highlighted the fabulous archives, strong heritage, and the advertising campaign through the Winter 2006 "LifeStyle" series segment. The series aired on both E! Entertainment and BRAVO television networks to reach approximately 125 million households.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- A Brief History of Jantzen (Adobe Flash Player). www.Jantzen.com - About Us. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.
