Oil of Delay makes billions
There are many rags-toriches stories in the South African innovation scene and one of the most interesting concerns the invention of the anti-ageing lotion which my mother loved to use, Oil of Olay.
While working for the Industrial Development Corporation, former Unilever chemist Graham Wulff (1916-2008), helped build factories in which grease was recovered from wool.
At the time, wool grease was the only lubricant available for the heavy steel roller mills at Iscor. At Congella Woolwashing in Durban, Wulff met Herman Beier and the two started a company, Adams National Industries (ANI), that would produce lanolin from wool grease. Soon, they were joined by Max Lowe, a marketing expert.
Lanolin is a wax secreted by sheep whose role is to keep the sheep’s wool and skin clean and to protect them against the weather. It is now widely used to make products that protect and beautify human skin, but the formula is a closely guarded secret.
In 1952 Wulff set up a laboratory in his home to formulate a lanolinbased fluid that would penetrate the skin rapidly, restore and retain moisture, protect the skin, and disappear within 10 minutes of application, leaving a supple, matt finish.
His team tested the developing product on their wives and friends and soon became confident of its uniqueness and high quality. One morning while shaving, Max was juggling the letters in ‘lanolin’ in his head and came up with the name, ‘Oil of Olay’, which they have used ever since.
Max also dreamed up a fictitious skincare beauty advisor, Margaret Merrell, who became well-known worldwide. She published beauty hints in newspapers and the Reader’s Digest and received voluminous mail, but was always out when someone came calling!
Their marketing strategy was also unique as they never described what their product actually did (thereby averting ‘false marketing’ claims).
Instead, their adverts used vague copy, such as ‘Share the secret of a younger looking you’, and Oil of Olay soon became respected worldwide as an effective skin moisturiser and antiageing lotion. Its tagline be- came ‘Ageless’ and its nickname ‘Oil of Delay’!
In 1959 ANI introduced its products into England (as Oil of Ulay), continental Europe (Oil of Olaz) and Australia (Oil of Ulan), and also penetrated the US market. In 1970 it was acquired by an American company, Richardson Merrell Inc., which was then bought out by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in 1985. In 2013 Oil of Olay became P&G's 13th billiondollar brand.
• Mike Bruton is a retired scientist and a busy writer; mikefishesbruton@gmail. com’.