ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

Abelman, Frayne, &Schwab

On September 21, 1920, Cellucotton Products Company (later known as Kotex Company) received a registration for its brand of sanitary napkins:

Kotex was introduced in 1920 as the first readily available disposable product for menstrual care. Army nurses found that the Cellucotton Products Company's creped wadding, which was used as bandages during World War I, was also suitable for feminine care. During the 1920s, the subject of menstruation was shrouded in superstition and embarrassment. Through education and gradual exposure, these obstacles were eventually overcome. Most women welcomed a product that, at long last, met their needs.

Early advertisements

On September 20, 1932, Kotex Company received a registration for its brand of paper towels:

The KLEENEX brand dates back to June 12, 1924, when the brand was introduced as a product for removing cold cream. Here is what the original product looked like:

When KLEENEX Facial Tissue was first introduced, a package of 100 sheets sold for 65 cents. Although it was originally marketed as a cold cream remover, people used the tissue many other ways, especially as a disposable handkerchief. In 1930, advertising was changed to reflect this usage.

To explain how KLEENEX Facial Tissue got its name, it is necessary to go back to 1920 and the development of the company's first consumer product, KOTEX Feminine Napkins. The KOTEX trademark was derived from the words "cotton texture." KLEENEX Tissue was originally designed in 1924 as a cold cream remover; hence, the "Kleen" portion of the word was coined to convey the cleansing purpose. The company then added the "EX" from KOTEX in order to convey what was the beginning of a family of products. In 1930, the name was changed from KLEENEX Cleansing Tissue to KLEENEX Facial Tissue.

KLEENEX was the first facial tissue and so just like Frigidaire and Sanka, it was initially the common name of the product on which it appeared rather than the brand name. This generic type of use