Do you suffer from Halitosis?
In the 1920s, Listerine faced a problem.
Originally invented in 1879 as a surgical antiseptic and later sold as a mouthwash, sales had stagnated at around $100,000 a year—respectable and established, but far from mass success.
That changed when Listerine launched one of the most influential ad campaigns in marketing history, which impacted not only sales but also society to this day.
“HALITOSIS makes you unpopular”
This is the headline of the ad that showed sad women and rejected men. The reason for their loneliness?
Halitosis—a fancy and medical-sounding word for bad breath.
The term has been used only in clinical contexts before, but the campaign turned it into a national anxiety.
The sales skyrocketed fortyfold within a few years, and the message was clear:
Use our product, or die alone.
Continue reading “The Faces of Emotional Selling”