Edge (shaving gel)

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]

Edge
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

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gel[7] and successfully sued Carter-Wallace for infringement based on its Rise brand gel.[8] As a result, Rise gel was withdrawn from the market.[9]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. "UPDATE 3-Energizer to buy SC Johnson shaving cream business". Reuters. May 11, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  2. Edge Products
  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. "Gillette Is Guilty in Patent Case". The New York Times. AP. August 2, 1989. p. D4. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  11. 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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