Naming Products
in the Fifties

“Maybe you’ve noticed that nearly all soaps and detergents have short, one syllable names. Some, like ‘Vel’, ‘Fab’ and ‘All’ have only three letters. There’s a reason: YOU.”

“‘The housewife is notorious for her utter lack of brand loyalty to any one soap or detergent… -So manufacturers must battle constantly to catch her eye – typographically. The shorter the name, the bigger the type on the box can be, and the more it will stand out over products with longer names.'”

Click here to read more about the history of advertising.

Click here to read about the American cosmetic industry during the Second World War.