The Truth About Floating Soap

TL;DR

Ivory soap, known for its purity and buoyancy, was believed to be a happy accident but was actually a deliberate invention by one of Ivory's own chemists, James Gamble.

Transcript

Ivory has been producing their uniquely floating soap for the well over a century now and in that time they’ve become one of the most popular soap brands in the world. For many years, the company has maintained that the discovery of its trademark floating soap was a complete accident, but exactly how true is this? For those of you who aren’t famili... Read More

Key Insights

• ✋ Ivory soap's popularity is attributed to its high purity and buoyancy, making it convenient for bathers.
• 🙂 The soap's buoyancy is achieved through incorporating air bubbles during production, giving it a slightly lower density than water.
• 🧼 The accidental origin story of Ivory soap was debunked when an archival notebook revealed that James Gamble intentionally invented floating soap in 1863.
• 🧼 Ivory soap strategically used marketing techniques, such as soap carving and prize incentives, to increase sales and brand awareness.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Ivory soap float?

Ivory soap floats because air bubbles are incorporated into the mixture during production, making it less dense than water.

Q: Was the discovery of floating soap accidental or deliberate?

Initially, Ivory claimed it was accidental, but an archival notebook from 1863 revealed that James Gamble, a chemist working for P&G, purposefully invented floating soap and planned to produce all stock that way.

Q: How did Ivory soap use marketing techniques to promote their brand?

Ivory soap hired PR man Edward Bernays, who encouraged soap carving amongst children, leading to increased sales and brand awareness. They also released non-floating bars in 2001, offering a prize for anyone who found one, which boosted sales.

Q: Did anyone ever find a sinking bar of Ivory soap?

As far as the information available, none of the sinking bars were turned in, indicating that most people do not notice the buoyancy of the soap unless they make an effort to check.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Ivory soap is 99.44% pure and floats, making it a popular and enduring brand.

• The soap floats because air is whipped into the mixture during production, creating tiny air bubbles that make it less dense than water.

• For over a century, Ivory insisted that the discovery of floating soap was an accidental mistake by an unnamed employee, but it was actually invented by James Gamble and purposefully marketed.