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Reach (brand)

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Reach
Product typeOral hygiene
OwnerJohnson & Johnson, Dr. Fresh LLC (toothbrushes for US, Canada, the Caribbean), LG Household & Health Care (Asia Pacific)
CountryUnited States
Introduced1976
MarketsWorldwide
Previous ownersDuPont
Websitereachtoothbrush.com;
www.reachfloss.com

Reach is an American brand of oral hygiene products, including toothbrushes, dental floss, and mouthwash. The brand originated from Reach toothbrushes developed by DuPont in 1976.

History

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1970s

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1976 – DuPont enters toothbrush market after four years of research conducted by "bio-dental team" from Tufts University,[1] headed by Percy H. Hill Jr.,[2] consultant to Applied Ergonomics company. Reach Toothbrush was the first ergonomically designed toothbrush, that proved significantly better in clinical trials[3][4] and spawned a whole new field of "toothbrush design".[5]

1976 article at Chicago Tribune highlights the following unique selling propositions of the new toothbrush: "an angled-shaped four-sided handle (for comfortable gripping) with an extended neck (that makes hard-to-reach areas more accessible), and a compact head topped with two-leveled bristles".[1]

DuPont started new toothbrush promotion in April 1976 first in Green Bay, Wisconsin, then moved to Chicago, with advertising in newspapers and on TV.[1]

1977 – Johnson & Johnson acquires Reach brand from DuPont, outmaneuvering Procter & Gamble.[6]

1978 – Johnson & Johnson introduced the brand nationally,[7] backing the launch with "the first million-dollar ad campaign ever produced for a toothbrush".[8]

1980s

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1982 – Reach introduces Reach Child Brush.[7]

1983 – Reach toothbrush was featured in Tooth Protectors video game for the Atari 2600 video game console along with Johnson & Johnson dental floss and Act mouthwash.[9]

1985 – Reach toothbrush gained recognition from American Dental Association.[10]

1986 – Mr. Reach character with the famous flip-top head, was born in Australia.[11] Developed by animator Phil Meatchem this mascot found its way to many world markets, including Japan and the U.S.

1987 – Johnson & Johnson advertised Reach toothbrush with the marketing claim that it "cleans 51% better than the other leading brush. It's angled to reach even back teeth".[12]

At the end of 80's Reach occupied 28% of the US market, successfully competing against market leader Oral-B (35% of the market).[13] However, by 1991 its market share dropped to 20%.[6]

1990s

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1993 – Reach introduced first ever child toothbrush named "Wondergrip", designed by "Smart Design" (NY) studio.[14] Previously, all children's toothbrushes were just scaled down adult brushes. To make this toothbrush "Smart Design" studied the brushing behavior of more than 100 kids, coming up with the shape that encourages proper brushing technique.[15]

1996 – Reach introduced Reach Plaque Sweeper toothbrush and Reach Floss Gentle Gum Care.[16] J&J doubled its advertising budgets vs. previous year to more than $20 million – in a move aimed to recover market share that declined to 15.5%.[16]

2000s

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2001 – Reach partnered with Warner Bros. and created Harry Potter Toothbrush for the start of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone movie.[17][18]

2006 – Fuel Industries developed a globe-trotting animated advergame "Mr. Reach: In the Mouth of Mystery" for Johnson & Johnson Canada, featuring various Reach dental products and Mr. Reach character.[19][20]

2008 – In August 2008 Reach introduced Reach UltraClean toothbrush and floss.[21]

2009 – Johnson & Johnson directly attacked its main competitors stating that Reach UltraClean floss removes up to two times more plaque than Glide (Procter & Gamble) floss and that UltraClean Toothbrush removes more plaque and provides improved gum health versus the Colgate 360° toothbrush. Based on clinical trials the company also stated that Reach UltraClean Toothbrush removes up to 90% of plaque in places that are hard to reach.[22][23]

2010s

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2010 – Total Care Floss Clean toothbrush designed by Fuseproject won IDEA 2010 award.[24] Same year Reach introduced new line "Reach Total Care Plus Whitening" with toothbrush and floss, designed to whiten teeth.[25] Also in 2010 Reach started "Reach by design" collaboration with interior designers Celerie Kemble and Tom Delavan as well as celebrity fashion stylist Brad Goreski.[26][27]

2011 – Reach Total Care Plus Whitening advertising came under criticism from the National Advertising Division, that suggested J&J to change claims "Ordinary toothbrushes clean teeth. Reach whitens them" and "At the core of this revolutionary toothbrush Reach has engineered a unique row of bristles infused with calcium carbonate microwhitening technology. That means each time you brush, you're whitening teeth and removing stains".[28] As an outcome NAD determined that J&J could support the claim that "[o]rdinary toothbrushes clean teeth. Reach whitens them", but suggested to modify other claims to ensure that consumers are aware that stain removal is accomplished extrinsically, through the stain-removing abrasive action of the bristles, not intrinsically through bleaching.[28] Also in 2011 Reach continued collaboration with design celebrities, inviting Flipping Out star Jeff Lewis and Shoshanna Gruss to join "Reach by Design" project.[29][30]

2012 – In December 2012, Johnson & Johnson sold rights to market Reach toothbrushes in the United States, its territories, the Caribbean and Canada to Dr. Fresh LLC, a portfolio company of Moelis Capital Partners, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition did not include Reach floss or other interdental products.[31]

2014 – In April 2014 Dr. Fresh introduced "Complete Care Triple Angle" toothbrushes,[32] presenting them on its website as "the most advanced Reach brushes ever made".[33]

2015 – Dr. Fresh re-introduced Mr. Reach in its advertising for "Reach Complete Care 8-in-1 Rinse".[34] At the same year Johnson & Johnson discontinued Reach brand name and rebranded Reach floss into Listerine floss, notifying consumers about this on official website in June 2015.[35]

2016 - LG Household & Health Care announced on November 1, 2016, that it agreed to acquire the Asia Pacific business of Reach brand from Johnson & Johnson.[36][37]

2017 - High Ridge Brands acquired Dr. Fresh LLC.[38]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Du Pont Reach(es) for teeth". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. 1976-04-01. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  2. ^ Stearns, Jared (2003-09-05). "Percy Hill, engineer who designed Reach toothbrush". Boston Globe. Boston. Archived from the original on 2004-05-26. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  3. ^ Helmut Degen (2012-12-28). "UX Talk with Dan Rosenberg". uxindustry.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  4. ^ Kim, J. Vicente (2013). "Let's Get Physical: Fitting Design to the Body". The Human Factor: Revolutionizing the Way People Live with Technology. Routhledge. pp. 82–84. ISBN 978-0-415-97891-0. Retrieved 2016-01-23. (Google Books)
  5. ^ Guerlain, Stephanie (2009). "Cognitive Engineering: It's Not What You Think". Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2008 Symposium (PDF). National Academy of Engineering. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-309-12821-6.
  6. ^ a b Lazarus, George (1991-08-13). "P&G Puts Its Crest On A Toothbrush". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  7. ^ a b Segrave, Kerry (2010). America Brushes Up: The Use and Marketing of Toothpaste and Toothbrushes in the Twentieth Century. McFarland. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-7864-4754-1. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  8. ^ "Toothbrushes – They're Sexy, By Gum". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. 1996-06-05. Archived from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  9. ^ Weiss, Brett (2012). "Atari 2600". Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-7864-8755-4. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  10. ^ Kiplinger Washington Editors I (1985). "Changing Times". Kiplinger's Personal Finance, November 1985. 39 (11): 316. {{cite journal}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ "Happy returns Mr Reach". B&T Weekly. 2007-05-11. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-01-23. The three-dimensional color animated character celebrates its twenty-first birthday in 2007
  12. ^ Media WM (August 1987). "Working Mother". Working Mother. 10 (8): 117.
  13. ^ Lazarus, George (1988-03-17). "J&J Has New Ammo in War of Bristles". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  14. ^ Andy Butler (2014-08-29). "interview with davin stowell, founder of smart design". Designboom. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  15. ^ "Smart Design Media Kit" (PDF). Smart Design. 2010-06-18. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  16. ^ a b Sloan, Pat (1996-02-26). "Coltage, J&J to pour $30 mil into toothbrush extensions". Advertising Age. Archived from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  17. ^ Alissa Macvillan (2001-11-13). "Like Magic the Toys Arrive". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2016-02-20. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  18. ^ Silvester, William (2010). Harry Potter Collector's Handbook. Krause Publications. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-4402-0897-3. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  19. ^ Richard Ho (2006-12-13). "Johnson & Johnson Reaches for Nostalgia". Advertising Age. Archived from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  20. ^ "Mr. Reach in the Mouth of Mystery". Mysterygamecentral.com. 2007-03-17. Archived from the original on 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  21. ^ Antoinette Alexander (2008-08-17). "J&J introduces Reach UltraClean toothbrush and floss". Drugstorenews.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  22. ^ "New Head-to-head Clinical Studies Reveal Reach Ultraclean Toothbrush and Floss Deliver Superior Plaque Removal Compared to Leading Competitive Products". Evaluategroup.com. 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  23. ^ Laird Harrison (2009-04-16). "New dental floss trials reported". DrBicuspid.com. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  24. ^ "REACH Toothbrush (IDEA 2010 finalists)". Industrial Designers Society of America. 2010-07-03. Archived from the original on 2016-02-03. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  25. ^ Dana K. Cassell (2011-03-15). "Put your money where your mouth is". Drug Topics. Archived from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  26. ^ Christa Joanna Lee (2010-07-15). "Will You Be "Reach"-ing For Brad Goreski's Designer Toothbrushes?". Glamour. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  27. ^ Marshall Heyman (2010-08-25). "For Fashionistas, Hot-Pink Tweezers and Tools". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  28. ^ a b "J&J to modify some toothbrush whitening claims". DrBicuspid.com. 2011-09-09. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  29. ^ "Fashion toothbrushes from designer Shoshanna Gruss". DentistryIQ.com. 2012-08-15. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  30. ^ Lilit Marcus (2011-11-03). "'Flipping Out' Star Jeff Lewis and Reach Bring You Fancy Designer Toothbrushes". Racked.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-02. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  31. ^ "Dr. Fresh® LLC Acquires REACH® Brand Manual Toothbrushes". PR Newswire. 2012-12-18. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  32. ^ "Toothbrush line offers new angles". DentistryIQ.com. 2014-04-30. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  33. ^ "Upgrade your Brush now". Reachtoothbrush.com. 2016-01-23. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  34. ^ "He's Back! Mr. Reach Returns With New Innovation and Complete Care". Marketwired.com. 2015-10-01. Archived from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  35. ^ "Dental Floss – Flossing". Reachfloss.com. 2015-06-30. Archived from the original on 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2016-01-23. REACH® FLOSS IS NOW LISTERINE® FLOSS
  36. ^ "LG Acquires Johnson & Johnson's Reach Brand for Asia-Pacific Region". Branding in Asia Magazine. 1 November 2016.
  37. ^ "News&Event > Press Release | LG Household & Care _ Healthy & Beautiful". www.lghnh.com.
  38. ^ "High Ridge Brands acquires leading oral care company Dr. Fresh". Cision PR Newswire. January 3, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
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