Vintage Advertising: Johnson Wax S C Johnson

When I was a kid, my Mom would get out this giant electric waxer for our sunroom flooor. Then, out came the can of wax. She pried off the lid and removed a big old glop for the electric waxer. As soon as she plugged the monster in we all fought for a chance to sit on top of it and go swirling around the floor. This was the early 50's version of an amusement ride in my house.

My favorite line of products has to be S C Johnson, a Family Co. Great ads and a great history. In 1886 Johnson was formed as a parquet flooring company by Samuel C Johnson. Trying to figure out how to care for their floors lead to the development of a specially formulated Prepared Paste Wax. Up to this point paste wax was evidently not in the local department store. Leave it up to the Johnsons to introduce the wax and then to innovate product after product for the consumer...read housewife.

Let's look at some of those ads:

First, an 1899 ad declaring that Johnson's makes hardwood floors and that their experience has taught them that Johnson's Prepared Wax is best for hardwood floors.

By 1905, the wax was also to be used on furniture, wood surfaces and floors. Further, it came with a handy mitt.

By 1916 the competition was starting to catch up and Johnson ran ads for its furntiure wax deeming it superior to liquid polish:

So many of our everyday products have interesting histories. One of the best ways to view the history of a company is through its advertising.

If you have a product you would like highlighted in this blog, just let me know! And if these pictures are too big, let me know that too, and I can post smaller ones.