THE ORIGINAL
“WASHDAY MIRACLE”
Tide to was released to the public on January 21, 1946 by Procter & Gamble marketed as a "washday miracle.” Tide has since then become the highest-selling detergent brand in the world, with an estimated 14.3 percent of the global market. Originally sold in a box typically costing around 37 cents. It was marketed as a household necessity, a multi-purpose product for both laundry and dishes. Advertisements were solely focused on its cleaning power as it did not have any added scent.
THE RISE OF AMERICA’S
LEADING DETERGENT
Before Tide, most laundry detergents were soap-based and often struggled to clean effectively in hard water. Scientists at Procter & Gamble, led by David “Dick” Byerly, developed a new formula by adding a “builder” called sodium tripolyphosphate. This ingredient made Tide a heavy-duty detergent that cleaned clothes more effectively, even in hard water conditions. Tide was especially popular at the date of release because washing machines were becoming more and more popular. This combination helped make Tide one of the most successful and recognizable laundry brands in the world, by 1949, it achieved nationwide distribution and became the leading laundry detergent in the United States and still is.
