Although the CEO would probably say it’s among my archives, I do not have the first toothbrush I owned. Nor is it pressed in my “Baby Book.”
I do recall the first toothpaste I used. Perhaps some others of my vintage used it too.
Bristol-Myers introduced Ipana in 1901 (and no, I did not start using it then).
Ipana was a wintergreen-flavored toothpaste with sodium fluoride (a small percent) as its active ingredient. It also had a disinfectant in its formula helping to prevent bleeding gums.
From 1903 to 1905 the company’s sales increased exponentially, propelling Bristol-Myers from a regional company to an international success.
To continue building on their success, Bristol-Myers became an early sponsor on U.S. radio broadcasts with the program “Ipana Troubadors.” This initiative was met with such response that Columbia issued a number of popular records under that name from 1925 through 1931.
The Troubs were actually a studio group under the direction of Sam Lanin. The radio exposure enabled the musical variety show to become one of the most well-known bands of the period.
Not one to pass up an opportunity, Bristol-Myers introduced a compound slogan: “Ipana for the Smile of Beauty; Sal Hepatica for the Smile of Health.” “Sal Hepatica” was a laxative so B-M was covering both options.
Ipana cruised through the 1940s as kids like me used it, so when TV commercials began to influence American buyers the company chose to include it in their advertising.
Though they were advised against animated commercials B-M turned to Disney Commercial Studios to develop a new marketing mascot. In 1954, Bucky Beaver became the new “face” of Ipana. Jimmie Dodd, a Mouseketeer, voiced Bucky and wrote this slogan: “Brusha … Brusha … Brusha. Get the new Ipana — it’s dandy for your teeth.”
Bucky took on villain Mr. Decay Germ in the animated vignettes and defeated him. Parents and kids apparently ignored the fact that beavers don’t get cavities and gnaw on trees to keep their teeth white (yellow?) and sharp.
Doubling up on their advertising, Bristol-Myers saturated women’s periodicals with monthly ad placements — women buy more toothpaste than men.
Better Homes and Gardens, True Stories and McCalls were among the targeted magazines while men’s magazines were virtually ignored (men don’t care about bad breath or cavities?).
This approach weakened the brand, hinting that Ipana was a product for women and kids. Ipana sales declined through the 1960s as competitors pushed harder and TV shows became colored while B-M declined to put Bucky in color.
By the late 1970s Ipana sales had been discontinued in the U.S. Bristol-Myers joined Big Pharma in their emphasis on better margins.
Maxill of Canada has attempted to revive the brand overseas and Ipana is the leading toothpaste in Turkey.
Interestingly, Ipana was never submitted to the American Dental Association’s Council on Dental Therapeutics for acceptance as an effective decay-fighting dentifrice. That may explain my four cavities by the sixth grade, which were filled by my dentist who didn’t believe in Xylocaine.
Jim Willard, a Loveland resident since 1967, retired from Hewlett-Packard after 33 years to focus on less trivial things. He calls Twoey, his bichon frisé-Maltese dog, vice president of research for his column.
