Remembering Burma Shave
- Thread starter Ron Scott
- Start date
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I'd like to know, what really did happen to Burma Shave on why aren't they on the market anymore?
Chris:
"Burma-Shave was introduced in 1925 by the Burma-Vita company owned by Clinton Odell. The company's original product was a liniment made of ingredients described as having come "from the Malay Peninsula and Burma."
Demand was sparse, and the company sought to expand sales by introducing a product with wider appeal.The result was the Burma-Shave brand of brush-less shaving cream and its supporting [road sign] advertising program. Sales took off.
At its peak, Burma-Shave was the second-highest selling brush-less shaving cream in the United States. Sales declined in the 1950's, and in 1963 the company was sold to Philip Morris [yes...the cigarette company]. The signs were removed at that time. The brand decreased in visibility and eventually became the property of the American Safety Razor Company.
In 1997, the American Safety Razor Company reintroduced the Burma-Shave brand with a nostalgic shaving soap and brush kit, though the original Burma-Shave was a brush-less shaving cream, and Burma-Shave's own roadside signs frequently ridiculed "Grandpa's old-fashioned shaving brush."
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Canned foam probably killed brushless shaving cream. Those wanting a fast, easy shaving experience probably were dazzled by the miracle of aerosol foam.
Burma-Shave was sold to Phillip Morris in 1963 and the signs came down. American Safety Razor wound up with the brand, and now they are part of Energizer, I think.
In the late 90's ASR did a mug, brush and soap combo with the Burma-Shave name. Kind of odd when you stop and think that the original stuff was marketed as a replacement of the old fashioned soap and brush.
I love the roadside verses and the vintage print ads.
Chris:
"Burma-Shave was introduced in 1925..........
"Use our Cream and we Betcha, Girls won't wait, They'll come and Getcha". Burma-Shave
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Now that's a good one and you made my day!!
- Thread starter
- #8
Their marketing was creative beyond the poetry. If you used their product you didn't simply shave. You got a Burma Shave.
And for those with interest...
No need to look far
'Tho you must make hay
For a 7 ounce jar
Is up now on The Bay
And for those with interest...
No need to look far
'Tho you must make hay
For a 7 ounce jar
Is up now on The Bay
Cool post. In fact, I tend to like lots of your posts Ron... thanks for contributing to my knowledge and enjoyment.
- Thread starter
- #10
As a kid, traveling by car with my family on back-roads and highways (but not Interstates), the Burma Shave signs would help keep my sister, brother and I entertained. This roadside campaign was genius. Instead of avoiding it, you would actually seek out their advertising.
- Thread starter
- #13
Sometimes I wonder what it is that attracts me to this board and wetshaving. Part of it has to be the return to an earlier day, when the world was turnulent, people knew something about roles, but experimentation was rampant--and I was just starting to wonder about shaving.
Advertising has become a study in perfection these days. And ads like Burma-Shave's just seem so refreshing…
from a great road trip in arizona a couple years ago....
Burma Shave has the best ads
I too loved the signs when I was a kid. They really livened up a road trip. Tom Waits wrote a rather sad song called "Burma Shave." It's on his Foreign Affairs CD.
I remember. A few years back, Walmart in my town had 8 pucks. I bought all of them. Never saw anymore at the store. I really liked the soap. I had an old cup from when I was a kid. Gave the cup to my son just a couple months ago.
Sarimento....I have seen those signs on route 66, am I right? Somewhere along Seligman?
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