Mr. Bubble
Mr. Bubble is a brand of bath products made by The Village Company. The brand is the #1 brand of bath products in the United States according to AC Nielsen Data.[1] The brand's slogan is "Makes Getting Clean Almost as Much Fun as Getting Dirty!". In 2011 Mr. Bubble celebrated its 50th birthday.[2]
History
Mr. Bubble was invented by Harold Schafer and the Gold Seal Company in North Dakota, USA, in 1961. Gold Seal manufactured and distributed Mr. Bubble (and Snowy Bleach) until 1986 when it was sold to Airwick Industries which was soon purchased by Reckitt & Coleman. R&C sold the brand to J.W. Childs Assoc as a part of their Personal Care Group, Inc. Ascendia Brands, Inc. purchased Mr. Bubble in 2005 from Playtex Products which had acquired the Personal Care Group in 1997. In August 2008, Ascendia Brands, Inc. filed for bankruptcy.[3] The Village Company LLC, a supplier of brand-name bath, shower, and personal care products in Chaska, Minnesota, purchased the Mr. Bubble Brand from Ascendia Brands in October 2008. A purchase price was not disclosed.
In March 2009, a new Mr. Bubble Foam Soap was introduced, available in both Original and Extra Gentle varieties. In 2010, Mr. Bubble Moisturizing Hand Soap was introduced, and in 2011, Mr. Bubble Body Wash was introduced. In addition, the bubble bath products have been reformulated to be "tear-free" and "hypo-allergenic".
In 2011 the brand celebrated its 50th birthday with the launch of a new character design.
Mr. Bubble is distinct from but frequently confused with Mr. Bubbles, a solution for blowing bubbles which is a product of Tootsietoy/Chemtoy/Strombecker Corp.
Current products
16 ounce Liquid Bubble Bath:
- Original Bubble
- Extra Gentle
36 ounce Liquid Bubble Bath:
- Original Bubble
- Extra Gentle
Foam Soap
- Original Bubble
- Extra Gentle
Moisturizing Hand Soap
- Original Bubble
- Extra Gentle
Body Wash
- Original Bubble
- Extra Gentle
Ingredients
Original Liquid Bubble Bath:
- Purified water (vehicle)
- Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate (foamer, lime soap dispersant)
- Sodium laureth sulfate (foamer, lime soap dispersant)
- Cocoamide MEA (foam stabilizer, liquid thickener)
- Aloe barbadensis Leaf Juice (moisturizer)
- Hydroxyethylcellulose (liquid thickener, foam stabilizer)
- Fragrance (esthetic, masking)
- DMDM hydantoin (antimicrobial)
- Tetrasodium EDTA (preservative, mfg. aid)
- Citric Acid (esthetic, dispensing aid)
- Red 33 (esthetic, dispensing aid)
The powdered version, which was introduced in 1961 and replaced by the liquid in the late 1970s, is based on sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate. Circa 1970 the powdered version had its phosphate removed and its total surfactant reduced, with modified starch added as a diluent, and fragrance and (temporarily) coloring added. For a time the powder included a taurate-based surfactant.
Appearances in other media
- In the Family Guy episode "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'", the Griffin family is being cursed with the plagues. This includes the tub water being blood, to which Stewie Griffin comments, "How positively delightful! It's as if someone stabbed Mr. Bubble!"
- In The Simpsons episode "My Sister, My Sitter", Lisa tells Bart that he can use Mr. Bubble to wash his hands and says "It's like giving your fingers a bubble bath."
- Eddie Murphy mentions it on his 1983 TV stand up show Eddie Murphy Delirious.
- It is also mentioned in the 1987 film Gold Through the Fire.
- It is conspicuously placed sticking out the top of a grocery sack as it is being carried in the house in the 1996 comedy film ed starring Matt LeBlanc
- Powder version can be seen in Everybody Loves Raymond, Season 3 Episode 17, while Frank is in the hot tub.
- Mr. Bubble makes a cameo behind the head of Navin Johnson (Steve Martin) during a bathroom scene in the movie "The Jerk",
- Mr. Bubble can be seen behind the Dude (Jeff Bridges) in "The Big Lebowski".
References
- ↑ Source: Nielsen Data Total U.S. FMD 52 weeks ending 12/25/10 (excluding Walmart data).
- ↑ Mr. Bubble Celebrates 50 Years.
- ↑ Stempel, Jonathan (2000-08-05). "Mr. Bubble maker Ascendia Brands files bankruptcy". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
External links
- Official Website of Mr. Bubble
- The Village Company LLC, maker of Mr. Bubble
- Mr. Bubble Facebook Page
- Article: Mr. Bubble Moves to Minnesota
- HAPPI Magazine: Mr. Bubble Gets a Makeover & Celebrates 50 Years
- Classic Mr. Bubble commercial http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=PmUnqrZI4qE
- Mr. Bubble Entry in the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database