Barbasol
Barbasol is an American shaving-care brand best known for its recognizable barber-pole packaging and brushless shaving cream.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Barbasol is an American personal-care brand centered on shaving cream, aftershave, and disposable razors. The brand was created in Indianapolis in 1919 by Frank Shields, an MIT professor who sought to develop a shaving product that would reduce irritation and eliminate the need to build a traditional soap lather with a brush. His original product was a thick shaving lotion that could be applied directly, a feature reflected in the early advertising line “No brush, no lather, no rub in.” The product was initially manufactured by Napco Corporation, a company Shields had established before developing Barbasol. As demand grew, Shields formed The Barbasol Company in 1920. The business expanded through extensive print advertising in the 1920s and 1930s, when the brand used celebrity endorsements and sometimes provocative visual themes to distinguish itself. Its spokespeople included entertainers and sports figures such as Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Joe Cook, Vincent Lopez, Babe Ruth, Rogers Hornsby, and Knute Rockne. The brand also developed a memorable radio identity through Harry Frankel, known as “Singin’ Sam the Barbasol Man,” who performed a jingle built around the product’s brushless-shave promise. A major technical and visual turning point came in the mid-1950s. Robert P. Kaplan, a design engineer from Rochester, New York, developed and patented an aerosol shaving-cream can. Barbasol adopted the aerosol format and changed from its original thick cream toward the soft foam associated with modern shaving products. The package design was made to resemble a barber’s pole, creating a distinctive red-and-white visual identity that remained closely associated with the brand and helped make the can an instantly recognizable symbol of shaving cream. In 1962, Pfizer acquired The Barbasol Company. Under Pfizer, the brand broadened its portfolio with variants including Soothing Aloe, Skin Conditioner, Sensitive Skin, Extra Protection, Cool Menthol, and Lemon Lime. It also introduced gel formats as consumer preferences shifted toward newer shaving textures. During the 1980s, the brand briefly extended beyond shaving with Barbasol Glide Stick deodorant. By the 1990s, however, Barbasol’s sales and brand equity had weakened, and Pfizer, whose main business was pharmaceuticals, began looking for a buyer. Perio, Inc., a personal-care company based in Dublin, Ohio, acquired the Barbasol brand from Pfizer in 2001. Perio attempted to refresh the line while retaining its core identity, consolidating some products and maintaining leading variants such as Original, Soothing Aloe, and Skin Conditioner. The company also introduced Pacific Rush, later followed by additional shaving creams including Sensitive Skin, Mountain Blast, and Arctic Chill. Aftershave products and disposable razors in twin-blade, three-blade, and six-blade formats expanded the brand beyond its historic cream franchise. Perio also revisited Barbasol’s origins. A non-aerosol cream intended to resemble the original product appeared in 2003 and was reformulated as Barbasol Non-Aerosol Therapeutic Shave Cream in 2006. That product was discontinued in 2019 and replaced by 1919 Classic Shaving Cream for the brand’s centennial. The new product connected contemporary marketing with the original formulation and founding date. Barbasol has used sports sponsorships and entertainment partnerships to maintain consumer visibility. Its history includes Indianapolis 500 sponsorships in the late 1930s, NASCAR Busch Series sponsorship activity in the 1990s, a shirt-sponsorship agreement with Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew beginning in 2012, support for Westwood One radio programming, and naming sponsorship of the Barbasol Championship professional golf tournament. The brand has also appeared in films and used its recognizable can in tie-in promotions, including a Jurassic World campaign. Barbasol is distributed throughout North America and remains an active shaving-care brand owned by Perio, Inc.
History
Frank Shields created Barbasol in Indianapolis in 1919 while seeking a less irritating alternative to conventional shaving soap. His invention was a thick lotion that could be used without working it into a lather. The product was first made under Napco Corporation, a business Shields had founded earlier, and growing sales led him to establish The Barbasol Company in 1920. Barbasol built early awareness through aggressive print promotion. Advertising in the 1920s and 1930s frequently emphasized the convenience of a brushless shave and used both celebrity endorsements and suggestive situations that were considered attention-getting for the period. The brand’s endorsers included figures from film, music, baseball, and football. Its radio identity became especially strong through Harry Frankel, a vaudeville performer and broadcaster known as “Singin’ Sam the Barbasol Man.” Beginning in 1931, Frankel promoted the brand and popularized a musical slogan centered on wetting the razor and beginning the shave without a brush or lather. The company also experimented with event marketing. A Barbasol-sponsored car appeared in the 1938 Indianapolis 500 with bodywork designed to resemble a tube of shaving cream. Mechanical trouble prevented a finish that year, while the following year’s entry placed tenth. Decades later, the brand returned to motorsports through sponsorship activity in the NASCAR Busch Series during the late 1990s. Packaging and formulation changed significantly in the 1950s. Design engineer Robert P. Kaplan developed and patented an aerosol shaving-cream can, and Barbasol shifted from its original thick cream toward an aerosol foam. The can’s barber-pole styling became a defining element of the brand’s visual identity. This design helped Barbasol retain strong recognition even as the shaving category became more fragmented. Pfizer acquired The Barbasol Company in 1962. During Pfizer ownership, Barbasol expanded into multiple shaving variants, including aloe, skin-conditioning, sensitive-skin, extra-protection, menthol, and lemon-lime offerings. Gel versions followed as gels gained popularity. The brand also briefly entered deodorant with Barbasol Glide Stick in the 1980s. By the 1990s, sales had slowed and brand equity had declined, while Pfizer increasingly concentrated on pharmaceuticals. Pfizer subsequently sold Barbasol to Perio, Inc. in 2001. Perio, headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, reorganized and refreshed the product range. It retained core cream variants, added or reintroduced fragrance and skin-positioned products, and expanded into aftershave and disposable razors. The company also tried to connect the contemporary aerosol brand with its historical formula. A non-aerosol product introduced in 2003 was reformulated as Non-Aerosol Therapeutic Shave Cream in 2006. That product was discontinued in 2019 and replaced with 1919 Classic Shaving Cream during the brand’s centennial year. Barbasol’s later marketing has used a more family-friendly and patriotic tone than some of its early advertising. Television spots from the 2000s played on the expression “close shave,” while later messaging used the line “Close Shave America, Close Shave Barbasol.” The brand supported sports media and teams, including Westwood One radio programming and Columbus Crew, and became the title sponsor of a professional golf tournament in Alabama. Its distinctive can has also appeared as a recognizable prop in popular culture, most notably as the disguised container for dinosaur embryos in Jurassic Park. Barbasol continues to operate as a North American shaving-care brand under Perio, Inc.
- 2019
1919 Classic Shaving Cream launches
[1]The centennial product replaces the discontinued Non-Aerosol Therapeutic Shave Cream and references the brand’s founding year.
- 2015
Barbasol Championship begins
[1]The sponsored professional golf tournament is first held on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama.
- 2012
Columbus Crew sponsorship begins
[1]Barbasol signs a five-year agreement to appear as the Major League Soccer club’s shirt sponsor.
- 2006
Non-Aerosol Therapeutic Shave Cream is introduced
[1]The brand reformulates its non-aerosol product into a therapeutic-positioned shaving cream.
- 2001
Perio acquires Barbasol
[1]Perio, Inc. purchases the brand from Pfizer and begins efforts to rebuild its consumer presence.
- 1996
Barbasol sponsors NASCAR Busch Series races
[1]The brand sponsors a series of races and teams in the NASCAR Busch Series.
- 1962
Pfizer acquires The Barbasol Company
[1]Barbasol becomes part of Pfizer’s portfolio and expands its range of shaving formulas and formats.
- 1955
The brand moves into aerosol shaving foam
[1]Following Robert P. Kaplan’s aerosol-can innovation, Barbasol adopts the foam format and barber-pole package design.
- 1938
Barbasol sponsors an Indianapolis 500 car
[1]A Barbasol-sponsored car designed to resemble a shaving-cream tube competes in the Indianapolis 500.
- 1931
Singin’ Sam becomes the Barbasol radio spokesman
[1]Harry Frankel begins promoting Barbasol as Singin’ Sam the Barbasol Man and popularizes the brand jingle.
Products and positioning
An accessible, heritage American shaving brand built around brushless shaving cream, familiar barber-shop imagery, broad retail availability, and a long-running value-oriented identity.
Aerosol shaving cream
Original Shaving Cream
Barbasol’s core aerosol shaving cream, descended from the brand’s original brushless-shave proposition. It is associated with the familiar barber-pole can and is positioned as a straightforward, everyday shaving product.
Non-aerosol shaving cream · 2019
1919 Classic Shaving Cream
Introduced for Barbasol’s centennial, this product replaced the Non-Aerosol Therapeutic Shave Cream and was designed to reconnect the modern brand with the thick, lotion-like character of its historical shaving formula.
Aerosol shaving cream
Soothing Aloe Shaving Cream
An aloe-positioned shaving-cream variant developed as part of Barbasol’s expansion beyond its original formula. It targets consumers seeking a more conditioning or soothing shaving experience.
Aerosol shaving cream
Skin Conditioner Shaving Cream
A skin-care-oriented Barbasol shaving cream that complements the basic Original variant. It reflects the brand’s broader strategy of segmenting its cream line by skin feel and shaving needs.
Aerosol shaving cream
Sensitive Skin Shaving Cream
A variant developed for consumers who prefer a shaving product positioned around sensitive-skin use. It forms part of Barbasol’s later portfolio of specialized cream offerings.
Shaving gel
Shaving Gels
Barbasol introduced gel versions as shaving gels became more popular. Documented variants included Original, Soothing Aloe, Sensitive Skin, and Extra Protection.
Aftershave
Aftershave products
A later extension of the brand into post-shave care, intended to complement its shaving creams and razors. Specific product-level launch dates are not established in the supplied reference material.
Disposable razors
Disposable razors
Barbasol expanded into disposable razors offered in twin-blade, three-blade, and six-blade configurations, broadening the brand from shave preparation into complete shaving routines.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Barbasol Championship
United States
Barbasol became the title sponsor of a professional golf tournament played on the Grand National course of Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Outcome. The event debuted as a PGA Tour alternative tournament during the week of the Open Championship.
- 2015Jurassic World promotional partnership
United States
Barbasol used its established association with Jurassic Park by issuing dinosaur-themed cans and promoting a trip to an archaeological excavation in Wyoming around the release of Jurassic World.
Outcome. The promotion reinforced the can’s pop-culture recognition and connected the heritage package with a major film franchise.
- 2012Columbus Crew shirt sponsorship
United States
Barbasol became the shirt sponsor of Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew under a five-year agreement.
Outcome. The partnership gave the brand prominent visibility in professional soccer and connected it with its Ohio base.
- 2001Close Shave television advertising
United States
Television advertisements built comic close-call situations around the phrase “Close shave,” followed by a recommendation to buy Barbasol.
Outcome. The campaign modernized the brand’s humor while preserving its association with shaving convenience.
- 1996NASCAR Busch Series sponsorship
United States
Barbasol sponsored Dick Bown’s team and several drivers across eleven NASCAR Busch Series races, later continuing its association through Akins Motorsports.
Outcome. The sponsorship extended Barbasol’s sports-marketing presence into late-1990s stock-car racing.
- 1938Indianapolis 500 sponsorship
United States
Barbasol sponsored a race car painted to resemble a tube of shaving cream. The car reached lap 166 before a clutch problem ended its run.
Outcome. The following year, a Barbasol-sponsored entry finished tenth, giving the brand additional motorsports visibility.
- 1931Singin’ Sam the Barbasol Man
United States
Barbasol used radio performer Harry Frankel as a recurring spokesman. His musical persona and jingle made the brushless-shaving promise memorable to listeners.
Outcome. The character became one of the best-known nostalgic advertising figures in the brand’s history.
Brand decisions
2019
Replace Non-Aerosol Therapeutic Shave Cream with 1919 Classic Shaving CreamGeneration changeBackground
Perio had used non-aerosol products to evoke Barbasol’s original thick cream, but the therapeutic version was discontinued in the brand’s centennial year.
Action taken
Barbasol introduced 1919 Classic Shaving Cream as its replacement.
Aftermath
The new product provided a heritage-focused link to the brand’s founding and original formulation.
2001
Perio acquires Barbasol from PfizerM&ABackground
Barbasol’s sales had slowed during the 1990s, and Pfizer was looking to divest a non-core consumer brand.
Action taken
Perio, Inc. acquired the brand and began consolidating and refreshing its shaving portfolio.
Aftermath
Perio retained core cream variants, introduced new fragrances and skin-positioned products, and expanded into aftershave and disposable razors.
1962
Pfizer acquires BarbasolM&ABackground
The Barbasol Company had operated independently since its formation by Frank Shields.
Action taken
Pfizer purchased The Barbasol Company and added the shaving brand to its portfolio.
Aftermath
Pfizer expanded the line with multiple formulas, gels, and a short-lived deodorant extension before later seeking a buyer as the brand weakened in the 1990s.
1955
Adopt the aerosol shaving-foam formatOtherBackground
The original Barbasol product was a thick cream. The development of an aerosol shaving-cream can created an opportunity to deliver a softer foam in a more convenient package.
Action taken
Barbasol changed its formula and packaging, adopting the aerosol format and a can styled after a barber’s pole.
Aftermath
The aerosol can and barber-pole design became central to Barbasol’s long-term visual identity.
Recent events
- 2019
Barbasol replaces its non-aerosol therapeutic cream with 1919 Classic Shaving Cream[1]
Product generation · Product launch
For its centennial, Barbasol discontinued the Non-Aerosol Therapeutic Shave Cream and introduced 1919 Classic Shaving Cream as a new link to the brand’s original product.
- 2015
Barbasol Championship debuts on the PGA Tour[1]
Campaign
The Barbasol Championship was first played as an alternative PGA Tour event during the week of the Open Championship.
- 2012
Barbasol signs a shirt-sponsorship agreement with Columbus Crew[1]
Campaign
Barbasol entered a five-year agreement to become the shirt sponsor of Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew.
- 2003
Barbasol introduces a non-aerosol shaving product[1]
Product launch
The brand introduced a non-aerosol cream designed to evoke the character of its original shaving product.
- 2001
Perio acquires the Barbasol brand from Pfizer[1]
M&A
Perio, Inc. purchased Barbasol from Pfizer and assumed responsibility for revitalizing the established shaving brand.
Sources1 sources
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