Edge
A can of Sensitive Skin Edge and shaving soap
Product typeShaving gel
OwnerEdgewell Personal Care
CountryUnited States
IntroducedMarch 24, 1970 (1970-03-24)
MarketsNorth America
Previous ownersS. C. Johnson & Son[1]
Websitewww.schick.com/us/en/edge/lp

Edge is an American brand of shaving gel manufactured by Edgewell Personal Care. The line includes Sensitive Skin, Extra Moisturizing, Extra Protection, Ultra Sensitive, Clean and Refreshing, and Soothing Aloe.[2][3]

History

S. C. Johnson & Son launched the Edge brand nationally in the United States on March 24, 1970 with a $4 million advertising campaign.[4] By 1975, Edge was reported to hold "10 percent or so" of the shaving cream and gel market[5] and reached a 17% market share by 1982.[6]

Lawsuits

S. C. Johnson held a patent for the shaving gel[7] and successfully sued Carter-Wallace for infringement based on its Rise brand gel.[8] As a result, Rise gel was withdrawn from the market.[9]

The company also successfully sued The Gillette Company for infringement based on its Foamy brand gel.[10][11] Foamy, which had long been the best-selling shaving cream, had introduced a gel version in 1983 to compete with Edge.[12] The trial court in the Gillette lawsuit found that Edge accounted for more than 20% of the market for shaving products at the time of trial, and the appellate court described the Edge gel product as "an overwhelming commercial success".[11] Despite the lawsuit, Foamy gel remained on the market because by the time of the trial court's decision, S. C. Johnson's patent had expired.[10] By 1993, Edge had reached 30% of the shaving cream and gel market, leading the category.[13]

Sale to Energizer Holdings

S. C. Johnson sold the Edge brand to Energizer Holdings in 2009 to focus more on household chemicals and fragrances.[1][14] In turn, Energizer spun off its personal care brands, including Edge, as a new corporation, Edgewell Personal Care, in 2015.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "UPDATE 3-Energizer to buy SC Johnson shaving cream business". Reuters. May 11, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Edge Products". Archived from the original on 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
  3. ↑ S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. History
  4. ↑ Dougherty, Philip H. (March 25, 1970). "Advertising: Mailing of Magazines Is Cut". The New York Times. p. 84. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  5. ↑ Lazarus, George (April 22, 1975). "Shave cream to share Trac II name". Chicago Tribune. p. C13.
  6. ↑ Lazarus, George (March 2, 1982). "Chanel to introduce $6.50 shaving cream". Chicago Tribune. p. C6.
  7. ↑ Monson, James A. (November 17, 1970). "Package Containing a Post-Foaming Gel" (PDF). United States Patent Office. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  8. ↑ S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. v. Carter-Wallace, Inc., 614 F. Supp. 1278 (S.D.N.Y. 1985), aff'd in part, 781 F.2d 198 (Fed. Cir. 1986)
  9. ↑ Lazarus, George (March 15, 1988). "Edge shaving gel awaiting faceoff". Chicago Tribune. p. B4.
  10. 1 2 "Gillette Is Guilty in Patent Case". The New York Times. AP. August 2, 1989. p. D4. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  11. 1 2 Gillette Co. v. S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 919 F.2d 720 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
  12. ↑ Lazarus, George (July 26, 1983). "Razor-thin edge leads to Gillette gel". Chicago Tribune. p. B6.
  13. ↑ Lazarus, George (February 17, 1993). "S.C. Johnson hair-care line for sale again". Chicago Tribune. p. A4.
  14. ↑ "Energizer to buy shaving cream line". The Boston Globe. May 12, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  15. ↑ Goodman, Andrew (June 25, 2015). "With the Energizer Split, What Will Edgewell Look Like?". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
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