WHY WE DID IT

It happened in January, 1935. Mr. McConnell, Sr., and Mr. McConnell, Jr., together with Mr. Ewald and other officials of the Company were looking over the business statements for 1934. Avon Representatives were making all-time high records in sales, but there was no reason why more business could not be done by them. The merchandise was the best possible, and so was our method of distribution. What more could be done to increase sales?

The decision was then made that the packages should be modernized, and made the most beautiful on the market. They voted at that time to make an intensive study of better packaging. They wanted the finest packages on the market, to properly set off the best merchandise. This, they thought, would greatly increase your sales, and thus be for the benefit of all.

The House of Avon has the largest number of art critics of any concern in the world. There are 30,000 critics -- you and all the other Representatives and Supervisors. You who read this are one of the art critics. And all of you realize that there is perhaps no other article of commerce more closely associated with fine design, craftsmanship and good taste than cosmetics. They are personal items, which are carried with one, with which one lives at home. They are displayed in the bed room, bathroom, boudoir, and kitchen. True art, we think, should not be confined merely to poetry, music, paintings and statuary, but should be shown in everything. That is the American standard of living. And what was considered beautiful in articles of commerce, twenty, ten, or even five years ago is not considered so today.

To be different was not enough. That is easy. To put a lotion, cream, or powder into a good standard container is easy, too. But we wanted the Avon Products to be packaged in a style exclusively our own, superior in beauty to anything else on the market. We also wanted our products to have a family resemblance, so that no matter what article a customer bought, the article would be recognized anywhere and at once, as an Avon Product. This has never been the case before, except for the trademark.

The next step was to decide on the color schemes for the four lines we proposed to change. They were the make-up line, the cosmetic line, the medicine closet line, and the men's line. This was a very important decision, because the color, as well as the design, can make or mar a customer's impression. If the colors are not appealing, the customer will not be so apt to like the contents, no matter how fine they are. The general impression was that blue and silver, our old colors, did not harmonize with colors in the home. So these colors were ruled out.

Bottles in the four new lines, as they are now

We had dummy packages made up of all sorts of color combinations, and they were submitted to exhaustive criticism by stylist experts, artists, Beauty Editors and company executives. For the male-up and cosmetic line, the majority were for turquoise, gold and chartreuse, in combination, so these colors were decided upon for these two lines.

For the medicine closet line, pale green and white, with blue lettering in a tiled design was chosen. This color combination suggested freshness and cleanliness. And for the men's line, maroon and cream were unanimously chosen.

After the color schemes were chosen, the matter of the design of the packages had to be taken up. This was very interesting, yet very difficult. There was not only the necessity for a family resemblance to run through everything, even though the colors were varied, but there were important technical problems to be considered. We had to find out whether the designs chosen could be manufactured quickly, and whether our Laboratories could handle the packages easily when labeling, filling, capping and packing them.

The first step in this problem of design was done by means of drawings. The various proposed shapes were drawn of all the various jars, bottles, cans, tubes and boxes. Then they were submitted to engineers who would know whether they would be practical to make. Those approved by them, were submitted to Mr. Van Alan Clark, our manufacturing Vice President for his approval. Those he passed upon were then made up into clay models, and shown to a conference group. Those they in turn approved, were made into wooden models, which could be handled, and submitted to other groups.

This series of steps was gone through with every item, in all four lines. Glance at the accompanying photographs. Compare them with the photographs of the old articles. You will notice that all through the line, there is a family resemblance. Pick up any article, and notice its 'feel' in the hand, its grace of line. They are clean cut, fit the hand, graceful, and classical.

Same four articles (as above), as they used to be

Then there was still the problem of caps, labels and cartons. Colors had to match exactly and this was very difficult. A color easy to obtain in bakelite, for instance was difficult to match on tin. The labels were all newly designed, and directions were re-written. Those articles which had package inserts had to have the inserts re-printed, in colors to match the new packages.

Probably the most interesting single problem was that of the Daphne Talcum Powder can. You will notice (see below) that it follows out the shape and design of the bottles in the cosmetic line. It is oval, rounded at the top, and squared at the bottom. A special machine, costing $6000.00 had to be designed and built to take care of this one item. This shows the lengths to which we went to have everything exactly right. The Company who makes our cans, is one of the largest and most elaborately equipped in America, but since we are one of their biggest customers, they were glad to co-operate with us.

We have already mentioned the labels, but did you know that the alphabet we use was especially designed for us? Notice the lettering on any package. This is entirely our own, the same as everything else about the new designs. Everything is patented, and no one else can use any of our designs.

It is two years since this work was begun, and now it is finished. New packages have been going out for three months now, but we waited to make this announcement until nearly everything was completed. We managed to make this tremendous change without upsetting our service, or manufacturing routine, which was a triumph in itself. When the old packages were all gone, the new ones were ready.

The expense of making this change has been, well, tremendous, but already increased sales and enthusiastic letters show that it has been well worth while. Our art critics -- the Representatives, approve, and we are very happy. Your customers are pleased, and they will buy more and more of the Avon Products.

There is still much to be done -- a new catalog to be designed throughout, and various helps. This is in work now. Meantime, we suggest that you carry this Announcement with you, and show your customers the cover. Also, carry your OUTLOOK with you, and show the pictures of the leaders as they come out. And we do hope that you will carry one package of the various types -- bottles, jars and tubes, or cans, from each of the main three lines, to show, along with the pictures. Photographs in black and white do not show the colors, but the actual articles, shown with the photographs of other articles in the same lines, will tell your customers the story.

You will all profit immensely by the increased beauty of the Avon Products. And that -- is just WHY WE DID IT.

(EXCERPT AND PICTURES FROM 1936 BROCHURE "WHY WE DID IT")