Ayds
Encyclopedia
Ayds was an appetite-suppressant candy which enjoyed strong sales in the 1970s and early 1980s and was originally manufactured by The Campana Company
. It was available in chocolate, chocolate mint, butterscotch or caramel flavors, and later a peanut butter
flavor was introduced. The original packaging used the phrase "Ayds Reducing Plan vitamin and mineral Candy"; a later version used the phrase "appetite suppressant candy". The active ingredient was originally benzocaine
, presumably to reduce the sense of taste
to reduce eating, later changed in the candy as reported by The New York Times
to phenylpropanolamine
.
By the mid-1980s, public awareness of the disease AIDS
- which had initially been called "GRID", for gay-related immune deficiency
- caused problems for the brand due to the phonetic similarity of names. Initially sales were not affected, but by 1988 the chairman of Dep Corporation announced that the company was seeking a new name because sales had dropped as much as 50 percent due to publicity about the disease. The product's name was changed to Diet Ayds (Aydslim in Britain), but eventually it was withdrawn from the market.
. A U.S. trademark was registered in 1946 claiming first use in commerce was in 1937. In 1944 the US Federal Trade Commission
objected to the claim that the product could cause the user to "lose up to 10 pounds in 5 days, without dieting or exercising". Ultimately, some people believed that if the product worked at all, it was because the recommendation to take the candy with a hot drink before a meal filled up consumers and naturally caused them to eat less.
The Carlay Company later became a division of Campana Corporation of Batavia, Illinois
. Then Campana bought Allied Laboratories of Kansas City
in 1956; thereafter, Campana was bought by Dow Chemical and its president, Irving Willard Crull was briefly president of Dow (less than six months) and he engineered the sale of Campana to the Purex Corporation in the mid to late sixties; again becoming president of Campana while serving as a vice-president of Purex which allowed Campana to function as a separate division.,. In 1981, Purex sold the rights to the Ayds name to Jeffrey Martin Inc. In 1987, Jeffrey Martin Inc. and its product line (including Ayds Appetite Suppressant and Compoz Sleep Aid) were acquired by the Dep Corporation (sometimes written DEP).
The Campana Company
The Campana Company was a major manufacturer of cosmetics in the early to mid-20th century.-History:The Campana Company was incorporated in 1927. Its first product was Italian Balm, a hand lotion. The formula was purchased from a Dr. Campana, from where the company derives its name...
. It was available in chocolate, chocolate mint, butterscotch or caramel flavors, and later a peanut butter
Peanut butter
Peanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground dry roasted peanuts, popular in North America, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and parts of Asia, particularly the Philippines and Indonesia. It is mainly used as a sandwich spread, sometimes in combination as in the peanut butter and jelly...
flavor was introduced. The original packaging used the phrase "Ayds Reducing Plan vitamin and mineral Candy"; a later version used the phrase "appetite suppressant candy". The active ingredient was originally benzocaine
Benzocaine
Benzocaine is a local anesthetic commonly used as a topical pain reliever, or in cough drops. It is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter anesthetic ointments...
, presumably to reduce the sense of taste
Taste
Taste is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc....
to reduce eating, later changed in the candy as reported by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
to phenylpropanolamine
Phenylpropanolamine
Phenylpropanolamine , also known as the stereoisomers norephedrine and norpseudoephedrine, is a psychoactive drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes which is used as a stimulant, decongestant, and anorectic agent. It is commonly used in prescription and over-the-counter cough...
.
By the mid-1980s, public awareness of the disease AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
- which had initially been called "GRID", for gay-related immune deficiency
Gay-related immune deficiency
Gay-related immune deficiency was the 1982 name first proposed to describe what is now known as AIDS, after public health scientists noticed clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and Pneumocystis pneumonia among gay males in Southern California and New York City.During the early history of AIDS, when it was...
- caused problems for the brand due to the phonetic similarity of names. Initially sales were not affected, but by 1988 the chairman of Dep Corporation announced that the company was seeking a new name because sales had dropped as much as 50 percent due to publicity about the disease. The product's name was changed to Diet Ayds (Aydslim in Britain), but eventually it was withdrawn from the market.
History
The product was originally introduced by the Carlay Company of ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. A U.S. trademark was registered in 1946 claiming first use in commerce was in 1937. In 1944 the US Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
objected to the claim that the product could cause the user to "lose up to 10 pounds in 5 days, without dieting or exercising". Ultimately, some people believed that if the product worked at all, it was because the recommendation to take the candy with a hot drink before a meal filled up consumers and naturally caused them to eat less.
The Carlay Company later became a division of Campana Corporation of Batavia, Illinois
Batavia, Illinois
Batavia was founded in 1833, and is the oldest city in Kane County, Illinois, with a small portion in DuPage County. During the Industrial Revolution, Batavia became known as ‘The Windmill City’ for being the largest windmill producer of the time...
. Then Campana bought Allied Laboratories of Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in 1956; thereafter, Campana was bought by Dow Chemical and its president, Irving Willard Crull was briefly president of Dow (less than six months) and he engineered the sale of Campana to the Purex Corporation in the mid to late sixties; again becoming president of Campana while serving as a vice-president of Purex which allowed Campana to function as a separate division.,. In 1981, Purex sold the rights to the Ayds name to Jeffrey Martin Inc. In 1987, Jeffrey Martin Inc. and its product line (including Ayds Appetite Suppressant and Compoz Sleep Aid) were acquired by the Dep Corporation (sometimes written DEP).
