Mortein
Encyclopedia
Mortein is an Australia
n brand of household insecticide
. Together with its sister product Aerogard
, a popular insect repellent, Mortein has become something of a household name in Australia, owing much in this regard to its cartoon
antagonist
, Louie the Fly. Louie was drawn and animated by Geoffry Morgan Pike
and made his first appearance on Australian TV in 1957. In a jingle created by Bryce Courtenay
it was used in animated TV commercials since 1962, he proudly sings of his own dirtiness, claiming to be afraid of no-one except "the man with the can of Mortein."
Mortein's slogan
is "More smart, more safe, Mortein." The word "Mortein" is a combination of the French
word "mort" (dead) and the German
word "ein" (one).
Mortein "Insect Seeking Fly Spray" uses the active ingredients Allethrin
(2.09 g/kg) and Resmethrin
(0.39 g/kg), both Pyrethroid
neuro-toxins which are not known to be harmful to humans in typical doses, and break down after one or two days.
Mortein is also available in New Zealand and India. It is a very popular insecticide brand in Pakistan Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan Limited.
The music and lyrics were written by James Joseph White and the copyright of the music and lyrics was held by him until his death. The copyright then was inherited by his relatives.
The copyright of the jingle is registered with A.P.R.A (Australasian Performing Right Association LTD)
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n brand of household insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
. Together with its sister product Aerogard
Aerogard
Aerogard is an Australian brand of outdoor insect repellent, that is applied directly to the skin.It comes in a variety of application types, including aerosol sprays, bottled creams and roll-ons....
, a popular insect repellent, Mortein has become something of a household name in Australia, owing much in this regard to its cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
, Louie the Fly. Louie was drawn and animated by Geoffry Morgan Pike
Geoffry Morgan Pike
-Background and early years:Geoffrey Morgan Pike is a British-born, naturalized Australian writer and cartoonist. He was born in in Tottenham Middlesex, England on 17 October 1929. His parents are Mildred and Robert Pike. He has two siblings, Anthony J...
and made his first appearance on Australian TV in 1957. In a jingle created by Bryce Courtenay
Bryce Courtenay
Arthur Bryce Courtenay AM is a South-African-born naturalized Australian novelist and one of Australia's most commercially successful authors.-Background and early years:...
it was used in animated TV commercials since 1962, he proudly sings of his own dirtiness, claiming to be afraid of no-one except "the man with the can of Mortein."
Mortein's 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...
is "More smart, more safe, Mortein." The word "Mortein" is a combination of the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
word "mort" (dead) and the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word "ein" (one).
Mortein "Insect Seeking Fly Spray" uses the active ingredients Allethrin
Allethrin
The allethrins are a pair of related synthetic compounds used in insecticides. They are synthetic pyrethroids, a synthetic form of a chemical found naturally in the chrysanthemum flower. They were first synthesized in the United States by Milton S. Schechter in 1949...
(2.09 g/kg) and Resmethrin
Resmethrin
Resmethrin is a pyrethroid insecticide with many uses, including control of the adult mosquito population.The resmethrin molecule has four stereoisomers determined by cis-trans orientation around a carbon triangle and chirality. Technical resmethrin is a mixture of -, -, -, - isomers, typically in...
(0.39 g/kg), both Pyrethroid
Pyrethroid
A pyrethroid is an organic compound similar to the natural pyrethrins produced by the flowers of pyrethrums . Pyrethroids now constitute a major commercial household insecticides...
neuro-toxins which are not known to be harmful to humans in typical doses, and break down after one or two days.
Mortein is also available in New Zealand and India. It is a very popular insecticide brand in Pakistan Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan Limited.
The music and lyrics were written by James Joseph White and the copyright of the music and lyrics was held by him until his death. The copyright then was inherited by his relatives.
The copyright of the jingle is registered with A.P.R.A (Australasian Performing Right Association LTD)