Thanks for the info! It's great to know just a bit more about one of my favorite products.
Mandrake said:Thanks ClubmanRob, very interesting. Specially the part about the Euro version, is there out there any direct comparison American vs European AV?
The composition of the European Aqua Velva is also more complex: it contains Citrol, Citronellol, Coumarin, Evernia Furfuracea, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellol, Limonene and Linalool, all ingredients that are absent from the American Aqua Velva.
In practice, the European Aqua Velva has a more subtle and more complex scent. It is still unmistakably Aqua Velva, but, at the same time, it is clearly not identical to the American product.
Thanks for that history lesson Rob! If there's anything I love most about traditional wet shaving, it's the history.
+1
I started to see AV in plastic bottles here in Canada and so I stocked up on it in glass bottles. I then emailed Williams, they responded by denying that they had decided to use plastic and that it will be sold in glass bottles. Well it looks like glass bottles are back.
From Wikipedia, I was suprised how little I found on the web.
Aqua Velva is a line of men's grooming products, including a widely advertised aftershave originally introduced as an alcohol-based mouthwash for men in 1929 by the JB Williams Company (later acquired by GlaxoSmithKline). As of 2009, it is marketed worldwide by Combe Incorporated. Aqua Velva products include Classic Ice Blue, Ice Sport, and Musk aftershave.
The alcohol content of original Aqua Velva was high enough to actually inspire US sailors in World War II to use it as a substitute for alcoholic beverages.[citation needed] Aqua Velva contains a bittering agent, denatonium benzoate, to discourage consumption
They did a Jedi Mind Trick on you.
You're not the only Canadian who started seeing the plastic bottles. You didn't imagine it. Combe just found it easier to lie to you instead of explaining that they were test marketing the new plastic bottles.
Gee, I wonder where it all came from... It's funny, an "official" Clubman site actually has to "borrow" from a humble little B&B exclusive ShaveWiki article that yours truly penned... methinks companies should keep better historical records instead of relying on fans of their products to piece the story together- but I digress.
In a nutshell...
Aqua Velva was introduced in 1929 as a mouthwash/hair tonic/aftershave, and a couple of years later it was marketed strictly as an aftershave. The original formula was a brownish/amber colored liquid and from what I can tell, it smells almost exactly like the Ice Blue we have today, give or take a couple of off notes. Williams got the contract to supply the US government with AV during WWII where it found its way into most soldiers Dopp kits. Because it was the only form of alcohol readily available to most of the boys in the trenches, it was pretty popular as a spirit.
To discourage this behavior, Uncle Sam pressured Williams into mixing the formula into something a little less desirable as a drink, so Williams added a bittering agent and changed the color to something similar to the Blue we have now. Rumors that the new batch was poisonous were spread in order to discourage drinking by our armed forces.
In the mid 50's Williams tired of manufacturing two different blends of AV- one for civilians and one for soldiers- so it was decided that they would trim their production to the "blue" AV. Instead of explaining this to the consumers of the day, (cue Don Draper) it was decided that a new ad campaign triumphing the Ice Blue as a new product would make more sense. So, in '55 or '56 the Ice Blue was in and the Brown was out. Soon AV was available in all types of different flavors, including Sport and Musk which are still manufactured today.
It's stayed pretty remarkably true to its roots for the most part. In the late eighties, amid slagging sales, Williams decided to stop making the original formula Ice Blue and to try marketing their Euro blend (which was cheaper to make) and it damn near put them into bankruptcy. The Original came back with a warm welcome.
Not much to add, except for that embarrassing lapse in judgment earlier this year where they were considering putting Aqua Velva in plastic bottles, until we here at B&B flooded their offices with complaints and hate mail. I think that's a moment in AV history that Williams/Combe would rather forget, though.
ClubmanRob - you are the best. I knew once your name was mentioned by masonjarjar that I was in for some learnin'... And yes, it was your post about the history of Clubman that made me wonder about the history of AV. Something about knowing the history of a product makes me enjoy using it even more.
Guys, I'm positively blushing over here! My head will soon explode from all the accolade!
Cheers, fellas.
Alright, can someone please explain to me the significance of the hats in all the avatars? Last week it was pirate hats, this week it's...whatever those things are. What's the scoop?
I think ol' Horatio would look spiffy wearing a Sable hat. Whatta you guys think?
Subjects of the Czar wear Sables in their avatar. The fellas that want to touch their bootys wear pirate hats.
I think ol' Horatio would look spiffy wearing a Sable hat. Whatta you guys think?
Alright, can someone please explain to me the significance of the hats in all the avatars? Last week it was pirate hats, this week it's...whatever those things are. What's the scoop?
Subjects of the Czar wear Sables in their avatar. The fellas that want to touch their bootys wear pirate hats.
I think ol' Horatio would look spiffy wearing a Sable hat. Whatta you guys think?
Those who acknowledge the supreme wisdom of the Czar wear the Sable. Those scurvy-ridden, wayward men and women who haven't got a clue among themselves wear pirate hats!
Point of clarification the Pirates were the first to show their unity and mutual love of their booties by donning like head gear. The serfs of the Czardom improved upon the idea. But it's all good, because Sable hats rock! I really wish I was a Cheddarite!
Fixed and fixed. By the power vested in me by Neil and the Ministry of Editing, we will be billing you for this service. Please expect to see the bill in the mail in the next three to five business days.
M.E.
Service with a smilie!