What Happened to 99 and 44/100 ths percent pure?

[cathyr19355]

I was in a local supermarket last night, and a quick look at a random display in the drug store aisle showed me that Ivory soap now comes in flavors.

I don't mean that you're supposed to *eat* the soap. No, I mean that Ivory now comes in two different varieties (in addition to the blocky white "99 and 44/100 ths percent pure" bar I've seen in stores since childhood, and that the company's website claims that they've been making and selling for 125 years). There's a light green variety that claims to be made with aloe vera and a lavender-colored one that's scented with (surprise!) lavender.

I don't understand this. Every company and its mascot has been engaged in coming up with an endless variety of different soaps, toothpastes, shampoos, conditioners, and other cleansing items for more than a decade now. Ivory soap had made itself *distinctive* by not playing the "more varieties" game. Why on earth have they changed now?

Although I have to admit that the idea of lavender-scented soap at Ivory soap prices is kind of neat.

Comments

[tafkad.livejournal.com]

For example, 7-Up briefly had a caffienated product, despite their long-running "Caffiene? Never had it, never will" ad campaign.

[stevenehrbar.livejournal.com]

Well, IIRC, the caffinated product was dnL, the whole point of which was that it was the anti-7up. If Ivory was selling scented-colored soap under the name, er, "hJo^I" . . .

Hmm. 7up is the uncola. dnL was the anti-7up (and thus an anti-uncola), but it wasn't a cola. So, there should probably be a distinct-from-7up anti-cola, . . .

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

Maybe 7-Up and the anti-7-Up destroyed each other in a matter-anti-matter (anti-cola/anti-anti cola?) collision. :-)

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

Yes, you're right. The fact that we don't have caffienated 7-Up now shows what a bad idea that was. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," is often very good advice in the marketing area.