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Bounty (brand)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bounty
Product typePaper towel
OwnerProcter & Gamble
CountryUnited States
Introduced1965; 59 years ago (1965)
TaglineThe quicker picker-upper; The stronger soaker-upper
Websitewww.bountytowels.com

Bounty is an American brand of paper towel that is manufactured by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in the United States, it was introduced in 1965.

History

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The Bounty brand name and its tag line "the quicker picker-upper!" came about through the acquisition of Charmin in 1957 by Procter & Gamble (P&G), becoming its first consumer-paper products business. Charmin Towels was the successful predecessor to Bounty, which led to P&G's strategic investment in research and development of the innovative Bounty. While most paper towels were being marketed promoting their strength or softness, P&G found consumers primarily preferred absorbency. With this new idea for marketing, Bounty replaced Charmin towels in 1965, and introduced a new 2-ply towel which was thicker, softer, and more absorbent than anything else on the market.[1]

In 1982, P&G Senior Inventor Paul Trokhan developed a proprietary technology that enhanced Bounty's absorbency by creating micro-regions within the towel focused on different attributes like strength and softness.[2]

Advertising

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Nancy Walker as Rosie in a 1977 print ad for Bounty (pictured with actor Vito Scotti).

From the 1960s to the 1990s, veteran character actress Nancy Walker appeared in a long-running series of popular commercials in the US, in which Walker played Rosie, a waitress in a diner, who used Bounty to clean up spills made by the diner's patrons and demonstrating its better absorption, compared to other brands. The original tag-line, "the quick picker-upper", was soon changed to "the quicker picker-upper", which became a common catchphrase (with variations) long after Walker ceased appearing in Bounty ads.[3]

In the UK, they had a campaign featuring 2 large, stubbly men wearing wigs and dresses referred to as Brenda and Audrey performing household tasks that require a paper towel and comparing them to other products. Later, the adverts featured a man known as Juan Sheet, a pun on "one sheet", using the slogan "one sheet does Plenty" (Plenty being the name of the product in the UK at the time.)[citation needed]

Product

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Consumer Reports reported (2014) the best paper towel was Bounty DuraTowel, followed by the next two on the list also being Bounty products.[4]

In 1998, Bounty started selling napkins.[5]

Sale of British rights

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In 2007, P&G sold its European business that also produced "Bounty" to SCA, and the product was then rebranded to Plenty in the UK.[citation needed]

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In Season 9 Episode 1 (Road Rage) of the American documentary series Forensic Files, a homicide case was solved with forensic evidence that included Bounty paper towels.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Article in "Bounty paper towels website"
  2. ^ "Innovation Series: Behind P&G - Bounty". pg.com. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  3. ^ Cross, Mary (2002). A Century of American Icons: 100 Products and Slogans from the 20th-Century Consumer Culture. Greenwood Press. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-0313314810. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Paper towels". Consumer Reports. EBSCOhost. January 2014.
  5. ^ Neff, Jack (28 September 1998). "Bounty extends brand via test of paper napkin". Advertising Age. 69 (39): 12.
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