Brylcreem

Brylcreem is a British men's hair-styling brand whose best-known product is a glossy hair cream introduced in 1928. The original product was developed by County Chemicals at the Chemico Works in Bradford Street, Birmingham, England. Its name combines the ideas of brilliantine and cream, reflecting both the product's high-shine finish and its cream-based formulation. The traditional cream is an emulsion of water and mineral oil stabilized with beeswax, designed to smooth hair, add sheen and provide light styling control. The brand became closely associated with the neatly groomed male appearance of the mid-twentieth century. Its advertising helped turn the phrase “a little dab’ll do ya” into a durable piece of popular culture. Television commercials commonly showed a man with untidy hair applying a small amount of Brylcreem before his hair appeared smooth and controlled. The brand’s image was reinforced by associations with military personnel, sportsmen and conventional ideas of masculine grooming. During the Second World War, members of Britain’s Royal Air Force were popularly called “Brylcreem boys,” partly because advertising used an RAF airman in print campaigns from 1939 onward. Brylcreem was for many years owned by the British pharmaceutical and consumer-products company Beecham. Ownership changed as Beecham became part of SmithKline Beecham and the personal-care business was subsequently acquired by Sara Lee in 1993. In January 2012, Sara Lee sold global rights to the brand to Unilever. The resulting commercial structure has varied by territory rather than operating through one universally identical owner: Unilever has marketed Brylcreem in Europe, Hindustan Unilever has handled the brand in India, and Combe Incorporated has marketed it in the United States. Godrej distributed the brand in India before acquiring a 51 percent interest in the Godrej Sara Lee joint venture in 2010. These arrangements mean that a single current global owner or headquarters cannot be stated with confidence from the available material. The product line has expanded beyond the original cream to include other men's styling formats, including gels, waxes and shampoos, while retaining the original cream as its flagship. Marketing language has changed with grooming fashions. When highly polished, heavily dressed hair became less popular and the dry, natural look associated with the Beatles gained influence, later advertising adjusted its message accordingly. Slogans such as “Grooms without gumming” and “The Brylcreem bounce” emphasized manageability and movement rather than only shine. Brylcreem has also been used by prominent sports figures, including English cricketer and footballer Denis Compton in the 1940s and 1950s, and Pakistani cricketer Fazal Mahmood in 1955. The latter endorsement was notable as the first reported instance of a commercial brand hiring a Pakistani cricketer as a model. The brand remains active as a heritage men's grooming label, with its strongest identity rooted in classic hair cream, retro advertising and the cultural history of twentieth-century male styling.

Brylcreem originated in 1928 at County Chemicals’ Chemico Works on Bradford Street in Birmingham, England. The first product was a hair cream formulated as an emulsion of water and mineral oil stabilized with beeswax. It provided a distinctive glossy finish while helping users smooth and control their hair. The brand name was derived from the concepts of brilliantine and cream, directly describing the product’s appearance and texture. The brand’s early development coincided with the growth of mass-market male grooming products. Brylcreem’s advertising presented hair styling as a simple daily ritual and made a small quantity of product sufficient for a polished appearance. Its most famous advertising line, “A Little Dab’ll Do Ya,” was paired with television animation in which a man’s initially untidy hair was transformed after applying Brylcreem. The jingle was written by Hanley M. Norins of Young & Rubicam. Other advertising language included “Grooms without gumming” and, in the United Kingdom and Canada during the 1970s, references to the “Brylcreem bounce.” Brylcreem became part of the cultural vocabulary of wartime and post-war Britain. Advertising from 1939 used an RAF airman, contributing to the nickname “Brylcreem boys” for Royal Air Force personnel during the Second World War. The term is sometimes interpreted as a mocking reference to the RAF, but the available account attributes it more directly to the brand’s advertising imagery. Brylcreem also became associated with sports celebrity endorsements. Denis Compton, the Middlesex and England cricketer who also played football for Arsenal, promoted the product in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1955, Pakistani cricketer Fazal Mahmood became the first Pakistani cricketer reported to model for a commercial brand in a Brylcreem campaign. Beecham, a major British pharmaceutical company, was the brand’s long-term owner. Following the formation of SmithKline Beecham, Sara Lee acquired the company’s personal-care unit in June 1993. Sara Lee later sold global Brylcreem rights to Unilever in January 2012. Commercial control and distribution have not been identical in every territory. Unilever has marketed Brylcreem in Europe, Combe Incorporated has marketed it in the United States, and Hindustan Unilever Limited has marketed it in India. Godrej distributed the product in India before its 2010 acquisition of a 51 percent stake in the Godrej Sara Lee joint venture. As grooming preferences shifted toward less oily and more natural-looking styles, Brylcreem modified its advertising. A later version of the jingle replaced the line about women running their fingers through the user’s hair with a reference to the natural look. The brand also broadened its range beyond the original cream into products such as shampoo, gel and wax. Despite these changes, the original cream remains the central reference point for the brand. Brylcreem’s advertising history has included regulatory controversy. In 1996, the Independent Television Commission banned a British Brylcreem shampoo advertisement after complaints that flashing strobe effects had triggered or might trigger epileptic seizures. The decision became the principal documented regulatory incident associated with the brand. Brylcreem has also continued to appear in popular culture, including references in television programs and music, where it is commonly used as a shorthand for glossy, traditionally masculine grooming. The brand remains active internationally as a legacy men's hair-styling label.

1. 2012Unilever acquires global Brylcreem rights

   Sara Lee sells global rights to Brylcreem to Unilever, while market-level arrangements continue to vary.

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2. 2010Godrej takes a majority stake in its Sara Lee joint venture

   Godrej acquires a 51 percent stake in the Godrej Sara Lee joint venture, which had been involved in Indian distribution.

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3. 1996British shampoo advertisement is banned

   The Independent Television Commission bans a Brylcreem shampoo commercial over flashing-light concerns related to epilepsy.

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4. 1993Sara Lee acquires the personal-care business

   Sara Lee acquires SmithKline Beecham’s personal-care unit, including the Brylcreem brand.

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5. 1955Fazal Mahmood models for Brylcreem

   Pakistani cricketer Fazal Mahmood becomes the first Pakistani cricketer reported to model for a commercial brand.

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6. 1939RAF imagery enters Brylcreem advertising

   Print advertising featuring an RAF airman helps connect the brand with wartime British male grooming culture.

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7. 1928First Brylcreem hair cream is created

   County Chemicals develops the original Brylcreem hair cream at the Chemico Works in Birmingham, England.

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A heritage men's grooming brand centered on classic, glossy hair styling and accessible everyday use.

• Brylcreem Original Hair CreamHair cream1928

  The original and defining Brylcreem product, introduced in 1928. It is a water-and-mineral-oil emulsion stabilized with beeswax, formulated to smooth hair, add a pronounced shine and provide light styling control. Its glossy finish established the visual identity of the brand and made the product a reference point for classic men's grooming.

• Brylcreem Hair GelHair gel

  A gel-format extension of the men's styling range, intended to provide stronger or more contemporary styling control than the traditional cream. The available reference material confirms gel as part of the broader Brylcreem product range but does not specify a single global formulation or launch date.

• Brylcreem Hair WaxHair wax

  A wax-based styling format associated with the brand’s expansion beyond its original cream. It serves consumers seeking textured or controlled hairstyles, although product names, formulas and availability can differ between markets.

• Brylcreem ShampooMen's shampoo

  A shampoo line promoted through television advertising, including the British commercial that was banned in 1996 because of flashing-light concerns. The available sources do not establish a single worldwide launch date or a uniform current formulation.

• 1955Fazal Mahmood endorsement

  Pakistan

  Pakistani cricketer Fazal Mahmood modeled for Brylcreem, an early example of a commercial grooming endorsement involving a Pakistani sports star.

  Outcome. The campaign helped connect the brand with cricket culture in Pakistan.

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• 1940Denis Compton endorsement

  United Kingdom

  Cricketer and footballer Denis Compton promoted Brylcreem during the 1940s and 1950s, helping establish the brand’s connection with sports celebrity endorsements.

  Outcome. Brylcreem became associated with a prominent British sporting personality.

  Source
• 1939RAF airman print advertising

  United Kingdom

  Print advertisements featuring an RAF airman linked Brylcreem with military neatness and contributed to the wartime nickname “Brylcreem boys.”

  Outcome. The imagery strengthened the brand’s association with British wartime masculinity.

  Source
• A Little Dab’ll Do Ya

  United States · United Kingdom · International markets

  Brylcreem’s best-known advertising platform used a jingle and animated transformation to show a small amount of product changing shaggy hair into a smooth, groomed style. The campaign helped make the brand’s dosage message and classic male-grooming image widely recognizable.

  Outcome. The slogan became a long-running piece of popular culture associated with Brylcreem.

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• 2012Global Brylcreem rights transferred to UnileverM&A

  Sara Lee reorganized its brand portfolio and sold the global rights to Brylcreem.

  What changed. Unilever acquired the global rights in January 2012.

  Aftermath. Unilever marketed the brand in Europe, while Combe and Hindustan Unilever handled United States and Indian market activity respectively.

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• 1993Sara Lee acquires Brylcreem through the SmithKline Beecham personal-care transactionM&A

  Brylcreem had been associated for many years with Beecham. After the formation of SmithKline Beecham, its personal-care unit was sold to Sara Lee.

  What changed. Sara Lee acquired the personal-care unit in June 1993.

  Aftermath. Sara Lee became the brand’s owner until it transferred global Brylcreem rights to Unilever in 2012.

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• 1996Brylcreem shampoo commercial banned over flashing lightsControversy

  The Independent Television Commission banned a British Brylcreem shampoo advertisement after complaints that its nightclub sequence with strobe lighting had triggered an epileptic fit or could pose a risk to viewers with epilepsy. The regulator found that the advertisement failed to meet relevant viewer-protection guidelines.

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• 2012Sara Lee sells global Brylcreem rights to Unilever

  Sara Lee transferred the global rights to the Brylcreem brand to Unilever. Market responsibilities have continued to differ by territory, with other companies involved in selected markets.

  M&A
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• 2010Godrej acquires a 51 percent stake in the Godrej Sara Lee joint venture

  Godrej acquired a controlling stake in the Godrej Sara Lee joint venture. Before that transaction, Godrej had distributed Brylcreem in India.

  M&A
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1. Brylcreem
2. Brylcreem official website