The quest to refresh the Listerine brand
By the late 1990s, the Listerine brand, known for its century-old, medicinal-tasting mouthwash, was facing stiff competition from newer, more convenient breath fresheners like gum and mints. Its parent company, Pfizer, sought a new way to capture the attention of a younger consumer demographic. The challenge was to create a portable product that offered the same germ-killing effectiveness as the liquid mouthwash without requiring a public swig and spit.
Recognizing a need for a portable and effective breath freshener, Pfizer's Richard D'Souza led the development of a solution. This led to an unexpected discovery that would become the foundation for the breath strip.
Licensing Japanese technology for a new market
During a business meeting in Japan in 1996, D'Souza encountered an edible film called pullulan, used for wrapping candies. This carbohydrate-based material dissolved rapidly on the tongue, and D'Souza saw its potential for a new Listerine product. The dissolving film technology was licensed from the Japanese company Hayashibara, but it needed significant adaptation for the US oral care market.
Pfizer executives approved the project with two main goals: improve the flavor and enhance the germ-killing benefit.
The development process
Developing the breath strips involved several key steps:
- Flavor: The initial edible film tasted like paper, so extensive work was done to create an appealing minty flavor.
- Active Ingredients: The strips were infused with the same four active ingredients found in Listerine mouthwash.
- Manufacturing: A process was developed to melt, add ingredients, cool, and cut the film into strips.
- Packaging: A discreet, portable, water-resistant box was designed to protect the strips, specifically engineered to fit into a small pocket.
The launch and market disruption
Listerine PocketPaks launched in Canada in 2000 and in the U.S. in October 2001. The product quickly became popular, achieving over $100 million in sales in its first year in the U.S. and being recognized as a notable invention.
The success of PocketPaks impacted the breath freshener market:
- Market Share: Sales of existing products like Altoids declined, and gum sales growth slowed.
- Competition: Other companies quickly introduced their own dissolving strips.
- New Applications: The technology showed potential for delivering pharmaceuticals as well.
Comparison: Breath strips vs. mints and gum
| Feature | Breath Strips | Breath Mints | Chewing Gum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portability | Extremely compact and discreet packaging | Often come in tins or rolls, but can be noisy | Requires a wrapper, can stick to pockets or bags |
| Method | Dissolves instantly on the tongue, no chewing | Sucked on, can be crunchy | Chewed, requires a place to dispose of it |
| Speed of Action | Instantaneous freshness as it melts | Gradual release of flavor over time | Flavor and freshness released through chewing |
| Active Ingredient Delivery | Delivers concentrated active ingredients directly to the tongue and mouth | Flavor and scent are dispersed as it dissolves | Releases flavor and can contain dental hygiene ingredients over time |
| Discreetness | Highly discreet, no wrappers or chewing sounds | Quieter than gum, but still involves an item | Not discreet, involves chewing and potential snapping |
The legacy of the trend
While initially very popular, breath strips' market dominance was temporary, with sales slowing by 2003 as consumers returned to traditional options. Despite this, their innovation introduced a new method of portable freshening and influenced the development of other fast-dissolving oral products.
Conclusion
While the concept of dissolvable films wasn't new, the team at Pfizer's Warner-Lambert division, including Richard D'Souza, is credited with bringing breath strips to the mass market as Listerine PocketPaks. This was achieved by licensing and adapting Japanese film technology and implementing effective marketing to meet consumer demand for a convenient oral care product. The success and subsequent market shift caused by breath strips highlight how innovation and marketing can create new product categories, even if their peak popularity is relatively brief. For those interested in the technical details, exploring patents related to oral care dissolving films on resources like Google Patents can provide more information.
