Gillette (brand)

Gillette is a brand of Procter & Gamble currently used for safety razors, among other personal care products. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was one of several brands originally owned by The Gillette Company, a leading global supplier of products under various brands, which was merged into P&G in 2005. The original Gillette Company was founded by King Camp Gillette in 1895 as a safety razor manufacturer.

On October 1, 2005, Procter & Gamble finalized its merger with The Gillette Company. As a result of this merger, the Gillette Company no longer exists. Its last day of market trading—symbol G on the New York Stock Exchange—was September 30, 2005. The merger created the world's largest personal care and household products company. In addition to Gillette, the company marketed under Braun, Duracell and Oral-B, among others, have also been maintained by P&G. The Gillette company slogan is "The Best a Man Can Get".

The Gillette Company's assets were initially incorporated into a P&G unit known internally as "Global Gillette". In July 2007, Global Gillette was dissolved and incorporated into Procter & Gamble's other two main divisions, Procter & Gamble Beauty and Procter & Gamble Household Care. Gillette's brands and products were divided between the two accordingly.

Trademark

The Gillette brand is synonymous with shaving and personal care products. As such, trademark protection becomes invaluable to distinguish a company's products and services from its competition to the public. King Gillette sought protection of his fledgling business for safety razors when he applied for the trademarks for razors and razor blades, soap, and shaving brushes on Wednesday, May 27, 1908. King C. Gillette filed trademark applications with the USPTO simultaneously in separate goods and services classes. King C. Gillette filed trademark applications under the early company name, Gillette Safety Razor Company, and while trademark applications were filed at the same time, each registration was granted on a different date. Registration for the Gillette trademark was assigned to razors and razor blades and was granted on October 13, 1908 with a serial number 71034984. Trademark for soap was awarded on September 29, 1908, with serial number 71034985, for shaving brushes on September 1, 1908 with 71034986. First use for this early Gillette trademark is declared as May 16, 1908. All 3 trademarks for the Gillette diamond are expired.

Older products

Double-edged safety razors

The first safety razor using the new disposable blade, were introduced around 1902. Gillette maintained a limited range of models of this new type razor until 1934 and the introduction of the "Aristocrat". The great innovation of this new model was the "Twist to Open", or TTO design, which made blade changing much easier than it had been previously, wherein the razor head had to be detached from the handle.

1947 saw the introduction of the new "Super Speed" model, also a TTO design. This was updated in 1954, with different versions being produced to shave more closely—the degree of closeness being marked by the color of the handle tip.

In 1958, the first "adjustable" razor was produced. This allowed for an adjustment of the blade to increase the closeness of the shave. The model, in various versions, remained in production until 1986.

The Super Speed razor was again redesigned in 1966 and given a black resin coated metal handle. It remained in production until 1986. A companion model, "The Knack", with a longer plastic handle, was produced from 1966 to 1976.

Newer products

• Techmatic was a single blade razor introduced in the mid-1960s. It featured a disposable cartridge with a razor band which was advanced by means of a lever. This exposed an unused portion the band and was the equivalent of five blades.

• Adjustable Techmatic is a version of the Techmatic dating from 1970. The adjustable version featured user-selection of shave closeness on the cartridge. The adjustable version was interchangeable with the non-adjustable version. Both versions of the Techmatic and their cartridges have been discontinued.

• Trac II was the world's first two-blade razor, debuting in 1971. Gillette claimed that the second blade cut the number of strokes required and reduced facial irritation.

• Trac II Plus is an identical model but adds a lubricating strip at the top of the blade. The blades and handles are interchangeable.

The European versions of the Trac II and Trac II Plus are known as the GII and GII Plus respectively.

• Atra (known as the Contour, "Slalom" in some markets) was introduced in 1977 and was the first razor to feature a pivoting head, which Gillette claimed made it easier for men to shave their necks.

• Atra Plus featured a lubricating strip, dubbed Lubra-Soft.

• Gillette Sensor debuted in 1990, and was the first razor to have spring-loaded blades. Gillette claimed that the blades receded into the cartridge head, when they make contact with skin, helping to prevent cuts and allowing for a closer shave.

The Sensor for Women was released around the same time and is nearly identical, but has a wider cartridge head.

• Sensor Excel was released in 1993. This featured "Microfins," a piece of rubber with slits at the bottom of the cartridge and Gillette claimed this helped to raise facial hairs, making for a closer shave.
• Sensor 3 has three blades instead of two. All Sensor handles can use all Sensor cartridges.

• Good News! was the first disposable, double-blade razor, released in 1976.

The Good News! came in three forms: the "original", the "Good News! Plus", which included a lubricating strip, and the "Good News! Pivot Plus", which featured a lubricating strip as well as a pivoting head.

• Blue II is a line of disposable razors. In Latin America, it is marketed as the Prestobarba.

• Blue 3 is a line of three-blade razor, cheaper version of Sensor 3 (Sensor compatible). Available also in disposable variant.

• Mach3 The first three-blade razor, introduced in 1998, which Gillette claims reduces irritation and requires fewer strokes.

The Mach3 featured five improved microfins and spring blades, a pivoting head with greater flexibility and a blue lubrication strip that faded with usage to encourage users to change their blades more frequently.

• Mach3 disposable. The above with a different plastic handle.
• Mach3 Turbo had ten microfins as opposed to the five on the original, a new grip and claims improved lubrication and "anti-friction" blades.

All Mach3 blades are interchangeable between the three products in the range, so it is possible to use the Mach3 Turbo blades on a Mach3 razor.

• Mach3 Turbo Champion has a slightly different handle design.

• M3Power is a battery-powered version of the Mach3 Turbo razor which can also be used with the power switched off. The blades differ from Mach3 Turbo with a new coating which Gillette describes as "PowerGlide".

The lubrication and microfins are identical to Mach3Turbo. The Mach3 Power Nitro has a slightly different handle design.

• Venus is a female version of the Mach3. Mach3 blades can attach to a Venus handle and vice versa.

• Venus Divine is a female version of the Mach3 Turbo.
• Venus Vibrance is a female version of the M3Power. Venus blades are interchangeable across the line.
• Venus Embrace is a five-bladed razor with a ribbon of moisture surrounding the blades.
• Venus Breeze is a three-blade razor with shave gel bars built into the head of the razor.

Another version of the Breeze, the Venus Spa Breeze, is essentially the same as the Breeze, but with a white tea scent to the shave gel bars.^[1]

• Venus ProSkin MoistureRich, launched in January 2011 in the United States, is an updated version of the Breeze, featuring MoistureRich shave-gel bars that are enhanced with a triple blend of body butters.^[2]

• Gillette Fusion is a five-bladed razor released in 2006. The Fusion has five blades on the front, and a single sixth blade on the rear for precision trimming.

• Gillette Fusion Power is a motorized version of the Fusion. The Fusion Power is battery powered and emits "micropulses" that are claimed to increase razor glide.^[3]
• Fusion Power Phantom The Fusion Power Phantom (Stealth in UK) was released in February 2007 and features a redesigned handle with a darker color scheme than the original.^[4]
• Fusion Power Phenom was released in February 2008. It has a new blue and silver color scheme.^[5]
• Fusion ProGlide and Fusion ProGlide Power were launched on June 6, 2010 in North America.

The ProGlide series feature re-engineered blades with edges that are thinner than Fusion and are finished with low-resistance coating which allow the blades to glide more easily through hair.^[6]

• Fusion Power Gamer (also known as "Cool White" in select markets)

Criticism

The desire to release ever more expensive products, each claiming to be the best ever, has led Gillette to make disputed claims for its products. In 2005, an injunction was brought by rival Wilkinson Sword which was granted by the Connecticut District Court who determined that Gillette's claims were both "unsubstantiated and inaccurate" and that the product demonstrations in Gillette's advertising were "greatly exaggerated" and "literally false". While advertising in the United States now had to be rewritten, the court's ruling does not apply in other countries.^[7] Procter & Gamble (P&G) shaving products are currently under investigation by the Office of Fair Trading in an inquiry into alleged collusion between manufacturers and retailers in setting prices. According to the Daily Mail in the U.K., an industry insider has claimed that the Fusion range of blades cost only £0.05 each to manufacture, yet sell for up to £2.43, a mark-up price of more than 4,750%.^[8]

Net worth

In 1999, Gillette, as a company, was worth US$43 billion, and it was estimated that the brand value of Gillette was worth US$16 billion. This equated to 37% of the companies value, which was the same as DaimlerChrysler, one of the world's largest car manufacturers at the time.^[9]

Promotions

Gillette has a long history of promotions for its products, especially towards young men. Current promotions include sponsorship of sports events such as Major League Baseball (since the 1940s, when it was the only sponsor for World Series television broadcasts) and the England national rugby league team, along with the Rugby League Four Nations. Gillette also ships a razor to males in the United States around the time of their 18th birthday; as of 2010 Gillette has been sending the Fusion ProGlide. Athletes such as Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, Shoaib Malik, Derek Jeter, Thierry Henry, Kenan Sofuoglu, Park Ji-Sung, Rahul Dravid, and Michael Clarke are sponsored by the company. There were calls to boycott Gillette products given their association with Thierry Henry, after a handball by Henry went undetected by referees and allowed France to knock Ireland out of a major soccer competition.^[10] Marketing experts have highlighted "the curse of Gillette", given the mishaps that happen to sports stars associated with the brand.^[11]

In popular culture

• Saturday Night Live featured a triple-blade razor in 1975, 23 years before the Mach3, with the slogan "The Triple-Trac. Because you'll believe anything." Not to be outdone, satirical newspaper The Onion printed a mock-commentary by Gillette's president after Wilkinson/Schick introduced their Quattro razor in 2004, three years before the Fusion was introduced, entitled Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades.^[12]
• Mad TV also featured a parody poking fun at Gillette's Mach3 line of products. Mad TV called the product the "Spishak Mach 20."
• Gillette continues to hold the naming rights to Gillette Stadium, which is home to the NFL three-time champion New England Patriots and the MLS New England Revolution.
• Eh Joe, an avant-garde screenplay for television penned by the minimalist writer Samuel Beckett, published in 1965, references Gillette razors several times in its script.
• The James Bond film Goldfinger features a Gillette twist to open (TTO) razor which contains a homing device used by Bond while on board the title character's private jet.
• The U.K. comedian Andy Parsons made jokes as part of his participation in Mock The Week parodying the brand's adverts, saying "Our closest shave yet. In fact, it's too close. It acts like a bacon slicer. Go back to using the previous one."

Canadian Headquarters

Until the late 1980s, Gillette Canada's headquarters were in the Montreal suburb of Mont-Royal, Quebec until they moved west to another Montreal suburb in Kirkland. The Kirkland offices were closed in 1996 and Gillette Canada moved to Mississauga, Ontario, a Toronto suburb following the Gillette acquisition of Duracell. The Mississauga offices were closed in 2005-06 after Procter & Gamble acquired Gillette, and Gillette's Canadian headquarters are located in downtown Toronto with parent Procter & Gamble on Yonge St.

See also

• King Camp Gillette

Further reading

• "King C. Gillette, The Man and His Wonderful Shaving Device" by Russell Adams (1978), published by Little Brown & Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

References

External links

• Official website