Mr... what?

“For more than 50 years, Mr Clean has been a beloved cleaning brand trusted by millions of consumers. In 1957, our beloved Mr Clean icon was born. Mr Clean was created by Chicago Art Director Ernie Allen.”

 Procter&Gamble Co.

It's been a tough month. End of vacations. Handing-in final assignments. Study week. Exam week. That's why I haven't posted in one month, and I apologize for that. But finally assignments and exams are over and after 1 week of relax in London here I am again. As you all may know today in GAA we're going to talk about Mr Clean, or Mr Proper... or Don Limpio... well, this bald guy that cleans everything. 

So, first of all, who's actually Mr Clean? 

Well, according to the company, the original model is a Navy sailor from the city of Pensacola, FL, although most people think he is a genie based on his earring, folded arms, and tendency to magically appear at the appropriate time. Mr Clean has always smiled on the packaging, except for a brief time in the mid 1960's when he was frowning on the package. However, he has never talked.

Why changing the name?

The main problem was that each country had the exact same packaging and naming but in a different price, so supermarkets and other shops would go to another country to buy it cheaper and then increase the selling price in their home country.

For this reason, P&G (company that owns Mr Clean) decided to adapt the name of the product, so one could see where did the product come from. However, P&G stated that the change was basically "to avoid confusions with the meaning of the product or with other similar brands".
The different names are:

•       Mr Clean in USA

•       Don Limpio, in Spain (originally launched and sold for years as 'Mister Proper')

•       Maestro Limpio, in Mexico and Puerto Rico

•       Mastro Lindo, in Italy and Malta

•       Meister Proper, in Germany (originally; labeled now as Mr. Proper)

•       Meneer Proper, in Belgium (Flandes) (Colloquially, the brand is known as 'Mister Proper')

•       Pan Proper, in Poland

•       Mister Proper, in Eastern Europe

•       Monsieur Net, in Quebec and French Canada

•       Monsieur Propre, in France

•                            Romuald Diego, in Philipines

Note that in the UK and Ireland the product is sold under the brand name Flash because the name Mr. Clean was already used by another company. Furthermore, in these two countries the mascot does not exist.  

 


 

Special after-Christmas post

Some people have complained because GAA's last posts were only in spanish, so I've decided to write this special after-christmas post ONLY in English. Today GAA is going to discuss where does Santa Claus come from, and why does he have this appearance. 

It all started in 1931 Coca-Cola began placing its ads in popular magazines. Archie Lee, the D'Arcy Advertising Agency executive working with The Coca-Cola Company, wanted the campaign to show a wholesome Santa who was both realistic and symbolic. So Coca-Cola commissioned Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop advertising images using Santa Claus — showing Santa himself, not a man dressed as Santa.

In the beginning, Sundblom painted the image of Santa using a live model — his friend Lou Prentiss, a retired salesman. When Prentiss passed away, Sundblom used himself as a model, painting while looking into a mirror. Finally, he began relying on photographs to create the image of St. Nick.

My hat's off to the pause that refreshes. 1931

Dear Santa. Please Pause here... Jimmy. 1932

People loved the Coca-Cola Santa images and paid such close attention to them that when anything changed, they sent letters to The Coca-Cola Company. One year, Santa's large belt was backwards (perhaps because Sundblom was painting via a mirror). Another year, Santa Claus appeared without a wedding ring, causing fans to write asking what happened to Mrs. Claus.

From 1931 to 1964, Coca-Cola advertising showed Santa delivering toys (and playing with them!), pausing to read a letter and enjoy a Coke, visiting with the children who stayed up to greet him, and raiding the refrigerators at a number of homes. The original oil paintings Sundblom created were adapted for Coca-Cola advertising in magazines and on store displays, billboards, posters, calendars and plush dolls. Many of those items today are popular collectibles.

They knew what I wanted. 1945

Now it's my time. 1951

Refreshing Surprise. 1959

Sundblom created his final version of Santa Claus in 1964, but for several decades to follow, Coca-Cola advertising featured images of Santa based on Sundblom’s original works. These paintings are some of the most prized pieces in the art collection in the company’s archives department and have been on exhibit around the world, in famous locales including the Louvre in Paris, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, the Isetan Department Store in Tokyo, and the NK Department Store in Stockholm. Many of the original paintings can be seen on display at World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Ga.