Product type | Beauty products |
---|---|
Owner | Unilever |
Country | United States |
Introduced | 1846 |
Markets | Worldwide |
Website | www.ponds.com |
Pond's is a brand of beauty and health care products, currently owned by parent company the multinational corporation Unilever.
Pond's Cream was invented in the United States as a patent medicine by pharmacist Theron T. Pond (1800–1852) of Utica, New York, in 1846. Mr. Pond extracted a healing tea from witch hazel [Hamamelis spp.] which he discovered could heal small cuts and other ailments. The product was named "Golden Treasure." After Theron died, it would be known as "Pond's Extract."
In 1849, the T. T. Pond Company was formed with Pond and other investors. Soon after, he sold his portion of the company because of failing health. He died in 1852. In 1914, the company was incorporated under the name Pond's Extract Company.
The company then moved to Connecticut establishing its manufacturing center there. Later it moved its sales office to New York City.
In 1886, Pond's began to advertise nationally. They advertised under the name of Pond's Healing until 1910.
By the twentieth century, the company's main emphasis was selling cosmetics products. The "Pond's Vanishing Cream" and the "Pond's Cold Cream" were created, marking the entrance of Pond's products into the facial care industry. Today Pond's is sold around the world. Its largest markets are in Spain and in Asia, including India, Japan and Thailand.
By 1910, Pond's was a well established brand among Americans. Concentrating mostly on their vanishing cream, the Pond's company began an ad campaign that would become notorious because of the celebrities involved in it. "Pond's Healing" took a back seat to "Pond's Vanishing Cream", as "Pond's Healing" and "Pond's Cold Cream" would be announced in small print under the "Pond's Vanishing Cream" advertisements.
By 1914, mentions of "Pond's Healing" were taken off the ads, and the Pond's company began to advertise "Pond's Vanishing Cream" and "Pond's Cold Cream" together, making sure to explain each cream's different purposes on the new ads. One particular ad line read "Every normal skin needs these two creams".
As a result of the new campaign, "Pond's Vanishing Cream" had a 60% increase in sales during 1915, and "Pond's Cold Cream" had a 27% increase.