Pear’s Soap: A Revolutionary Victorian Era Marketing Triumph
The soap brand, ‘Pear’s’, is one of the oldest living brands in the world and a prime example of a successful Victorian era marketing campaign.
Founded by Andrew Pears in London in 1789, Pear’s Soap became well-known in the mid-19th century under the guidance of Thomas J. Barratt, the son-in-law of one of the partners and arguably the first modern advertising man. Barratt’s insightful marketing campaigns fundamentally changed how products were marketed, effectively setting the foundation for modern advertising practices.
The story begins with Barratt recognizing a need to differentiate Pear’s Soap from a slew of competitors. He achieved this through three significant tactics: sophisticated branding, celebrity endorsements, and emotional appeal.
Branding: Barratt decided to give Pear’s Soap a unique identity by using the same branding across all advertisements. He chose an artful, distinctive design featuring the product and the brand name. The iconic image of a cherubic boy admiring his reflection in a bathtub while holding a bar of Pear’s soap became one of the most recognizable advertising images of the Victorian era.
Celebrity Endorsements: Barratt leveraged endorsements from well-known figures to create a buzz about the product. In a stroke of genius, he even secured an endorsement from Queen Victoria’s court, thus tying Pear’s Soap to the prestige and high standards of the British monarchy.
Emotional Appeal: Borrowing a technique from his contemporaries, Barratt made use of emotional appeals to attract potential customers. One of the most famous slogans associated with Pear’s soap was, “Have you used Pear’s soap today?” This evoked feelings of cleanliness and a sense of duty, subtly suggesting that using any other soap was a disservice to oneself.
The success of Barratt’s marketing strategies made Pear’s Soap a household name across Britain and beyond, marking one of the earliest examples of a product becoming known on a global scale due to effective marketing. The techniques used in this campaign continue to influence modern advertising, highlighting their timeless relevance and effectiveness. This case study serves as an excellent reminder of how Victorian era marketing strategies laid the foundation for many practices we still see today.
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