Playtex: Америкалық әйелдер гигиенасы және балалар тауарын брендінің тарихы

American feminine hygiene and baby care brand

Playtex is an American brand name for undergarments, baby products, gloves, feminine hygiene products, and sunscreen. The brand began in 1947 when International Latex Corporation (ILC) created a division named Playtex to produce and sell latex products. Playtex was the first to advertise undergarments on national television in 1955, written by Howard Shavelson at Ogilvy and Mather, and the first to show a woman wearing only a bra from the waist up in a commercial in 1977. They developed space suits for the Apollo program. Playtex branded tampons were introduced in the 1960s and became the primary competition to incumbent Tampax. Playtex invented the plastic tampon applicator in 1973. It was one of the tampon manufacturers that were sued for aggressively advertising over absorbent tampons that led to toxic shock syndrome. Playtex was acquired by Esmark in 1975, and then by Beatrice Foods in 1985. A year later, it was acquired for $1.25 billion, and its cosmetics brands were sold to Revlon. In 1988, Playtex split into Playtex Apparel Inc. and Playtex Products LLC. Playtex Apparel was sold to Sara Lee Corporation in 1991, and to Hanesbrands in 2007.

Abram Nathaniel Spanel founded the International Latex Corporation in Rochester, New York, in 1932 to produce latex products such as bathing caps, swimwear, and baby pants. ILC did not produce apparel for adults until the introduction of the Living Girdle in 1940, The company almost went out of business during the war, so it created an industrial division to find government and military applications for latex. Playtex was founded in 1947 as one of four divisions into which ILC re organized. ($ in modern dollars). The following year, it was the first to advertise under garments on network television. Playtex's industrial division was spun off in 1967, two years before the Moon landing that utilized its space suits; it eventually became ILC Dover. which produced baby products, tampons, and other consumer goods. By 1975, the five largest tampon manufacturers began competing with multimillion dollar advertising budgets, Playtex introduced a scented tampon that was advertised with the slogan, "When you're wearing a tampon you don't worry about odor. But should you?" Planned Parenthood complained, so a warning label was added saying that some women may experience irritation from the chemicals. Playtex and other tampon manufacturers were sued for aggressively advertising and competing over absorbency, when some studies found that excessive absorbency leads to toxic shock syndrome. In 1985, a judge offered to reduce an $11 million verdict against Playtex if they would recall their super plus tampons and admit that they were killing women.

Joel Smilow became chief executive officer (CEO) of Playtex in 1969 and was associated with the company through five owners. The company was acquired by Esmark in 1975 for $210 million ($ in modern dollars). By the early 1980s, Playtex controlled 25 percent of the market for bras, giving it the largest market share in the industry. In 1982, Playtex acquired the skin and hair products brand, Jhirmack Enterprises Inc., for $28.3 million ($ in 2018 dollars). Three years later Esmark sold Playtex to Beatrice Foods. Four years later an investor group led by Smilow bought Playtex for $1.25 billion ($ in modern dollars). To help fund the acquisition, the company's cosmetics brands, Max Factor, Almay and Halston, were sold to Revlon for $345 million ($ in modern dollars). The following year, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) relaxed rules regarding partial nudity on television, Playtex was the first to advertise with a live model wearing only a bra from the waist up. The New York Times called the ads "totally inoffensive" and CBS's spokesman said they were "well done, tasteful and not exploitative". Ownership of the remaining apparel and consumer products divisions were split among the company's leadership (28 percent), BCI Holdings (20 percent), Drexel Burnham (19 percent) and institutional investors (33 percent). The transactions allowed Smilow to buy out other Playtex shareholders and put ownership of the brand into two separate investment groups that were owned by Smilow and other Playtex executives. ($ in modern dollars). The next year Smilow sold Playtex Apparel to the Sara Lee Corporation, owner of the Bali and Hanes brands, for $571 million, ($ in modern dollars) but keeping the Playtex Family Products Corporation. In November of that year, Sara Lee also bought a 25 percent stake in Playtex Family Products for $62.5 million ($ in modern dollars). Playtex Products Inc. went public in 1994. In 1995, another 40 percent of Playtex Products Inc. was sold to Haas Wheat & Harrison Investment Partners for $180 million ($ in modern dollars).

Playtex Products continued to erode Tampax's market share throughout the late 20th century. The two companies had divided the market almost evenly by the late 1990s. Both makers increased profits primarily by reducing the tampon count per box, and prepared to enter emerging markets, particularly in Asia, where many women still used homemade pads. In 1997 Procter & Gamble (P&G), makers of Always sanitary napkins and pantiliners, bought Tambrands for $1.25 billion, its largest acquisition up to that point, returning to the tampon sector almost two decades after pulling Rely from the market over Toxic Shock Syndrome concerns. Due to its strong advantage among younger women, and baby boomers reaching menopause, Playtex continued to gain market share on Tampax. After extensive market research, Tampax reversed that trend with the 2002 introduction of Pearl, with an applicator designed to be as visually appealing as it was functional, and making the brand once again appealing to teens. Playtex responded by litigating. In one suit, it alleged patent infringement over Pearl's applicator design. It also alleged that advertising claiming Tampax Pearl had better leakage protection and comfort than Gentle Glide was false. Playtex won a verdict prohibiting Tampax from making claims of superiority, until the decision was reversed in 2007, when Tampax made improvements in materials and manufacturing. The next year Playtex Products acquired the Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen company for $83 million. Later that year Playtex Products was acquired by Energizer Holdings for $1.16 billion. Playtex Products was sued in 2008, when a mother accused the company of not adequately disclosing their baby bottles contained bisphenol A. After Canada considered banning the chemical, the company took it out of their bottles the following year. In 2013, the Playtex intimate apparel brand launched a $10 million integrated marketing campaign called "Be Uniquely You". This 360 rebranding included new bra styles and packaging and a strong presence in social media and national TV ads. The new campaign was created by KraftWorks NYC. In 2015, Energizer Holdings spun out several businesses including Playtex Products into a new company called Edgewell Personal Care.

The Playtex trademark is owned by Playtex Marketing Corp. in the United States and Canada. They license the trademark to HBI Branded Apparel Enterprise (a subsidiary of Hanesbrands) for Playtex branded apparel and Playtex Products Inc (a subsidiary of Energizer Holdings) for baby products, gloves and feminine products. Hanesbrands and Energizer Holdings each own a fifty percent interest in Playtex Marketing Corp.) sells Playtex branded apparel products. Playtex Products LLC is managed under the Personal Care Division of Energizer Holdings.