Ivory (soap)
Encyclopedia
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
Company (P&G), including varieties of a white and mildly fragranced bar soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
, that became famous for its pure content and for floating in water. Over the years, the bar soap has been altered into other varieties. P&G research revealed in 1992 indicated work in progress to create other varieties that do not float as the original and would sink due to the altered ingredients but avoid dissolving too fast. New varieties of Ivory soap contain glycerin, do not dry the skin as quickly,
and do not float as well.
In October 2001, P&G tested the sinking bar soap as part of an advertising campaign to see if people would notice the sinking bars, even if given a cash reward.
History
Because Ivory is one of P&G's oldest products (first sold in 1879), P&G is sometimes called "Ivory Towers" and its factory and research center in St. Bernard, OhioSt. Bernard, Ohio
St. Bernard is a small city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,924 at the 2000 census.-Geography:St. Bernard is located at , and along with Norwood and Elmwood Place, is an enclave surrounded by the city of Cincinnati.According to the United States Census Bureau, the...
is called "Ivorydale".
Ivory bar soap is whipped with air in its production and floats
Buoyancy
In physics, buoyancy is a force exerted by a fluid that opposes an object's weight. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus a column of fluid, or an object submerged in the fluid, experiences greater pressure at the bottom of the...
in water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. According to an apocryphal urban legend, later discounted by the company, a worker accidentally left the mixing machine on too long and the company chose to sell the "ruined" batch because mixing air longer did not change the basic ingredients of the soap. When appreciative letters about the new, floating soap inundated the company, P&G ordered the extended mix time as a standard setting. However, company records indicate that the design of Ivory was not the result of accident. In 2004, over 100 years later, the P&G company archivist Ed Rider found documentation that revealed that chemist James N. Gamble, son of the founder, had discovered how to make the soap float and noted the result in his writings.
Ivory's first slogan "It Floats!" was introduced in 1891. The product's other well-known slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
, "99 44/100% Pure", was based on the results of an analysis by an independent laboratory the founder's son, Harley Procter, hired to demonstrate that Ivory was purer than the castile soap
Castile soap
Castile soap is a name used in English-speaking countries for olive oil based soap made in a style similar to that originating in the Castile region of Spain.-History:...
then available.
Ivory soap had been more caustic in comparison to some milder bars
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
such as Dove
Dove (brand)
Dove is a personal care brand owned by Unilever.Dove products are manufactured in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Netherlands, Thailand, Turkey and United States. The products are sold in more than 35 countries and are offered for both women and men.. The Dove...
, a non-soap synthetic detergent
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
bar. Plus, some consumer investigations had found that Ivory's antimicrobial
Antimicrobial
An anti-microbial is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans. Antimicrobial drugs either kill microbes or prevent the growth of microbes...
activity was better than that of other skin soaps, even those containing antibacterials such as triclosan
Triclosan
Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent. It is a polychloro phenoxy phenol. Despite being used in many consumer products, beyond its use in toothpaste to prevent gingivitis, there is no evidence according to the American Food and Drug Administration that triclosan provides an extra...
. A postulate for this effectiveness is the ability of the soap to lyse
Lysis
Lysis refers to the breaking down of a cell, often by viral, enzymic, or osmotic mechanisms that compromise its integrity. A fluid containing the contents of lysed cells is called a "lysate"....
bacteria efficiently, and to rinse cleanly. The drawback to the soap was its drying effect on the skin, as it had easily dissolved natural oils. Of all the commercial soaps, Ivory has been considered the best by holistic health people, but was criticized for what it did not contain, glycerin. One reason is that glycerin was expensive and would raise the cost of the bars, which had the value of being about the least expensive soap available for people of modest means.
Changing to sinking bars
Procter & Gamble product research, which was reported during October 1992, has involved creating other varieties of Ivory soap that do not float as the original, and would sink due to the altered ingredients, but also would avoid dissolving too fast when wet. New varieties of Ivory soap contain the ingredient glycerin inside the bar soap,and they do not float as well as the original formula. In October 2001, P&G tested the sinking bar soap as part of an advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
in the United States, in a 6-month plan to release 1,051 soap bars that sink, among other bars that float, to see if people would notice the sinking bars, even if given a cash reward of up to $250,000. The D. L. Blair company, part of Draft Worldwide, a unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies, was assigned to administer the contest.
Ingredients
The Ivory soap bar (classic) had contained: sodium tallowate, sodium cocoateSodium cocoate
Sodium cocoate is a generic name for the mixture of fatty acid salts of coconut oil that is used in soap making.Sodium cocoate is produced by hydrolysis of the ester linkages in coconut oil with sodium hydroxide, a strong base....
or sodium palm kernelate, water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
, sodium chloride
Sodium chloride
Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
, sodium silicate
Sodium silicate
Sodium silicate is the common name for a compound sodium metasilicate, Na2SiO3, also known as water glass or liquid glass. It is available in aqueous solution and in solid form and is used in cements, passive fire protection, refractories, textile and lumber processing, and automobiles...
, magnesium sulfate
Magnesium sulfate
Magnesium sulfate is a chemical compound containing magnesium, sulfur and oxygen, with the formula MgSO4. It is often encountered as the heptahydrate epsomite , commonly called Epsom salt, from the town of Epsom in Surrey, England, where the salt was distilled from the springs that arise where the...
, and fragrance. The soap bar had a determined pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
value: 9.5.
New varieties of Ivory soap contain altered ingredients, such as in "Simply Ivory" (or "simplement ivory"): sodium tallowate and/or sodium palmate, water, sodium cocoate
Sodium cocoate
Sodium cocoate is a generic name for the mixture of fatty acid salts of coconut oil that is used in soap making.Sodium cocoate is produced by hydrolysis of the ester linkages in coconut oil with sodium hydroxide, a strong base....
or sodium palm kernelate, glycerin, sodium chloride
Sodium chloride
Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
, fragrance, one or more of the following: coconut acid, palm kernel acid, tallow
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
acid or palm acid, and tetrasodium EDTA.
Now
Ivory is a huge brand by P&G standards. The Ivory brand includes the classic bar soap, liquid hand soap, body wash, dish liquid, and a mild laundry detergent (not a soap) product called Ivory Snow. Research in 2001 by ehman Brothelabuba Quathgalla revealed that the U.S. sales of all Ivory products, including the liquid soap and dish detergent, represented less than 1% of P&G's total worldwide sales in the 34 weeks ended December 21, 2001.Cultural references
- ParodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
ing Ivory's slogan, John FrankenheimerJohn FrankenheimerJohn Michael Frankenheimer was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films...
titled his 1974 film 99 and 44/100% Dead. - "99 and 44/100% Pure" are the words spoken by Willy Wonka on opening the safe / factory door in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryWilly Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
. - Port Ivory, Staten IslandPort Ivory, Staten IslandPort Ivory is a coastal area situated in the northwestern corner of Staten Island, New York City, New York, United States. It is located on Newark Bay near the entrances the Kill van Kull to the west and Arthur Kill to the east....
, a New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
neighborhood, was renamed because of the P&G factory that was a landmark there from 1907-1991. - Porn star Marilyn ChambersMarilyn ChambersMarilyn Chambers was an American pornographic actress, exotic dancer, model, actress and vice-presidential candidate...
once appeared on Ivory Snow packaging. - Ivory soap exhibits a peculiar foaming phenomenon when exposed to microwave radiation. This experiment is commonly performed to demonstrate Ivory soap's unique properties.
- This soap powder was used by many people at Christmas time after World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to create a fake snow to put on live Christmas trees. A box of Ivory Snow combined with boiling water, mixed and whipped up with an electric mixer, produced a "mock snow". It was applied by hand wearing rubber gloves and rubbing the mixture all over the tree. It dried to a firm consistency and dripped down, looking like real snow. MicaMicaThe mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
flakes or white glitterGlitterGlitter describes an assortment of very small pieces of copolymer plastics, aluminum foil, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, bismuth oxychloride or other materials painted in metallic, neon and iridescent colors to reflect light in a sparkling spectrum...
were then sprinkled on top of the snowy mixture. The tree sat for about an hour before the garland and ornaments were added. Commercial aerosol cans of fake faux snow replaced this method starting in the 1960s. - An episode of Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
was titled "99 & 44/100% Pure Horror" and centered around the rich owner of a soap company and his wife. - Country singer Ronnie MilsapRonnie MilsapRonnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
referenced the Ivory soap slogan in his 1974 hit song "Pure LovePure Love"Pure Love" is a song made famous by country music singer Ronnie Milsap. Originally released in 1974, the song became Milsap's first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in the late spring of the year...
" written by Eddie RabbittEddie RabbittEdward Thomas "Eddie" Rabbitt was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974...
. - Ice-TICE-T* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
refers to Ivory Soap in his 1988 track "I%27m Your Pusher", boasting that he doesn't sanitize the content of his records : "I don't clean'em up with no Ivory soap - I leave'em hard and pure, hope that you can cope".
External links
- Ivory Products Home Page
- History of Ivory
- How to Expand Ivory Soap
- How to Expand Ivory Soap Video by Josh LeoJosh LeoJosh Leo is an American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer active in Nashville, Tennessee.Leo was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1973, he moved to Chicago, Illinois and subsequently became a guitarist of the short-lived Eddie Boy Band...
- The Australian equivalent, in production since 1900, Velvet Pure Soap's home page
- Ivory Project: Advertising Soap in America 1838-1998 by the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...