Kleenex
 | |
 A box of Kleenex facial tissues | |
| Product type | Facial Tissue |
|---|---|
| Owner | Kimberly-Clark |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | July 12, 1924 |
| Markets | Worldwide except Canada |
| Previous owners | International Cellucotton Products Company |
| Registered as atrademarkin | USA |
| Website | https://kleenex.com |
Kleenexis abrand namefor a line of paper-basedfacial tissues.Often used informally as agenericized trademarkfor facial tissue,[1][2]it is aregistered trademarkofKimberly-Clark,applied to products made in 78 countries and sold in over 196.[citation needed]
History
[edit]Kleenex began during theFirst World Warwhen the Cellucotton company developed a crepe paper gas mask filter. In the 1920s, the product was modified into the menstrual padKotex.A further modification of the original crepe paper made it thinner and softer, and the resultant 1924 product was called "Kleenex" and marketed as acold creamremover.[3]In line with the company's requirements for their brand names to be short, easy to say, and easy to explain, the name Kleenex was selected as the "Kleen" portion of the name denotes its cleansing purpose with asensational spellingof the word "clean". The "ex" was added to show that Kleenex was of the family of products that included Kotex. This was the first marketing of a disposable paper-basedfacial tissuein the western world, and was sold as a substitute for face towels or cotton wool. In 1925, the first Kleenex tissue ad was used in magazines showing "the new secret of keeping a pretty skin as used by famous movie stars". A few years after the introduction of Kleenex, the Cellucotton's head researcher tried to persuade the head of advertising to try to market the tissue forcoldsandhay fever.The administrator declined the idea but then committed a small amount of ad space to mention of using Kleenex tissue as a handkerchief. By the 1930s, Kleenex was being marketed with the slogan "Don't Carry a Cold in Your Pocket" and its use as a disposablehandkerchiefreplacement became predominant.[4]In 1943, Kleenex began licensing theLittle Lulucartoon character to popularize the brand.[5]
Trademark
[edit]
The original Kleenex trademark application at theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office(USPTO) was filed in the class of Medical, Beauty, & Agricultural Services by Cellucotton Products Company ofNeenah, Wisconsin,on July 12, 1924. The description provided to the USPTO was "absorbent pads or sheets for removingcold cream".[6]
In the application, Cellucotton claimed that it had used the drawing and stylized word mark in commerce since June 12, 1924.[6]USPTO granted trademark registration on November 25, 1924. International Cellucotton Products Company officially assigned trademark interest and good will of the business to Kimberly-Clark Corporation on September 30, 1955. Kimberly-Clark Corporation ofNeenah,Wisconsin is the current registered owner of the Kleenex trademark.[7]
Nationwide marketing in the United states of Kleenex (as a means of removing cold cream rather than as a tissue for sneezes) was rolled out in the first week of September 1924 in Chicago with an ad for the Walgreen drug store chain on September 2[8]and with an offer on September 4 for a free sample in New York City[9]
In the U.S., the Kleenex name has become—in common usage butnotin law—genericized.The popularity of the product has led to the use of its name to refer to any facial tissue, regardless of the brand.[10]Many dictionaries, including Merriam-Webster and Oxford, now include definitions in their publications defining it as such.[11][12]
In 2023 Kimberly-Clark announced that it would no longer be selling the brand in Canada, citing transportation costs. It had a 16 percent market share at the time, but the cost of shipping meant profitability was low.[13]
Diapers
[edit]In 1978, Kimberly-Clark introduced Kleenex Super Dry diapers withwetness indicatorsin the form of a design that fades and lightens as the inside of the diaper becomes wetter.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Gordon, Whitson (June 25, 2019)."How a Brand Name Becomes Generic".The New York Times.RetrievedJune 1,2024.
- ^"The" Lawyers of Kleenex "are taking a soft approach to the hard realities of genericide".Quartz.November 3, 2022.RetrievedJune 1,2024.
- ^"The Kleenex Story".Kleenex Official Site.Archivedfrom the original on October 10, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 14,2023.
- ^"Kleenex Brand Story".Kleenex.com. Archived fromthe originalon May 27, 2010.RetrievedJune 26,2010.
- ^""Marge and Lulu: The Art of the Deal," Jennifer Gotwals,Hogan's Alley#15, 2007 ".Archived fromthe originalon May 1, 2013.RetrievedMarch 13,2013.
- ^abOfficial Gazette of the United States Patent Office,September 2, 1924, p.40 ( "Ser. No. 199,932... Filed July 12, 1924... Claims was since June 12, 1924" )
- ^"United States Patent and Trademark Office, registration #s 0019194;0022859;0029753;0038458;0408618".June 12, 1924.Archivedfrom the original on December 9, 2002.RetrievedJune 25,2010.
- ^Chicago Daily Tribune,September 2, 1924, p.13 ( "A soft, velvety tissue for removing cold cream from the face. It is safe, sanitary and inexpensive. Use it once and throw it away." )
- ^Daily News(New York City), September 4, 1924, p.21 ( "This new way removes cold creamsafely... Adopted by famous actresses, advised by beauty doctors and skin experts. "
- ^"Has kleenex become a generic trademark?".genericides.org.Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 17,2021.
- ^"Kleenex".Archived fromthe originalon October 15, 2017.RetrievedApril 9,2018.
- ^"Kleenex".Archivedfrom the original on July 9, 2017.RetrievedApril 9,2018.
- ^Evans, Pete (August 25, 2023)."What a blow! Kleenex pulling out of Canadian consumer market".CBC News.Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.RetrievedJuly 25,2024.
Further reading
[edit]- Henrich, Thomas; Batchelor, Bob (2004).Kotex, Kleenex, Huggies.Ohio State University Press.ISBN0814209769.
External links
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