Teen Spirit is a deodorant, originally sold by Mennen, then Colgate-Palmolive (after Colgate-Palmolive acquired Mennen in 1992).[1]
 An earlier Teen Spirit Stick deodorant, with an "Orchard Blossom" scent | |
| Product type | Deodorant/antiperspirant |
|---|---|
| Owner | Colgate-Palmolive |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1991 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | The Mennen Company (1991–1992) |
| Website | Teen Spirit |
Teen Spirit was first released by Mennen early in 1991, and with heavy advertising campaigns, it had soon "established a market niche" with teen girls.[2] Sales were boosted by the grunge band Nirvana's song "Smells Like Teen Spirit",[citation needed] which Kurt Cobain named after the deodorant, after reading graffiti on his bedroom wall written by Kathleen Hanna.[3][4]
When Mennen was acquired by Colgate-Palmolive in 1992, the Teen Spirit brand was said to be the most popular product of its kind in the US and was the favorite of nearly 1/4 of all teenage girls.[citation needed] Because of its immense popularity, Colgate-Palmolive planned to begin a new hair-care line with the Teen Spirit name. The new hair-care products were released in August and sold well, as expected.[5] The Teen Spirit name began to lose its share of the market, just as the song with the same name started to drop off the charts.[citation needed] Before long, the company was forced to drop the hair-care line, but kept the deodorants.[citation needed] Today, all that is left of the Teen Spirit franchise is "Teen-Spirit Stick". Teen Spirit Stick is now only offered in two fragrances: Pink Crush and Sweet Strawberry. It is available in either the 1.4 or 2.3 ounce (40 or 69 gram) sizes.[6][dead link]
Scents
edit- Pink Crush
- Sweet Strawberry[7]
- Discontinued scents:
- Berry Blossom
- Pop Star
- Baby Powder Soft
- Romantic Rose
- California Breeze
- Ocean Surf
- Caribbean Cool
- Orchard Blossom
- Cool Coconut
References
edit- ^ "Colgate History". Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ "Innovation still key for Mennen". 17 June 1991. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 2006-07-03.
- ^ "Kathleen Hanna on how she named 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'". ABC.net. 23 September 2016.
- ^ Charles R. Cross (2001). Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. New York: Hyperion. p. 175. ISBN 0-7868-6505-9.
At the time, no one in the band knew of the deodorant, and it wasn't until ['Smells Like Teen Spirit'] was recorded and mastered that anyone pointed out it had the name of a product in it.
- ^ "Colgate Aims to Capture Teens". Archived from the original on 2013-01-25. Retrieved 2006-07-03.
- ^ "Physlabs Store". Retrieved 2006-07-03.
- ^ "Teen Spirit Customer Reviews, Scent Name: Sweet Strawberry". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 January 2016.