One effective way to promote a product is to give the consumer an added freebie with the purchase. By 1966, this had been done with a variety of products, especially those appealing to children such as the various toys in breakfast cereals and, of course, the prize included in boxes of Cracker Jacks. A more utilitarian product like laundry detergent, however, necessitated a very creative spin on this concept, and Breeze detergent was a notable example.
Breeze detergent was an established product, having been introduced by Lever Brothers in 1947. But beginning in the 1950s, as new brands made the laundry soap market more competitive, Lever used a very unique approach to make Breeze stand out: it included a free towel in every box of detergent. The towels were manufactured by Cannon, a respected brand in the linen industry, and ranged in size from face cloths in the smaller boxes to full-sized bath towels in the king-sized cartons. The patterns on the towels varied over the years, from florals to the Hawaiian stripe featured in this ad. It was a great way for a homemaker to add to the household's towel supply without extra expense, as laundry detergent needed to be purchased anyway.
Although not widely available in North America, Breeze detergent is still being sold in some parts of the world. Unfortunately, the liquid version of today doesn't lend itself very well to the inclusion of a freebie. But in the 1950s and 1960s, the idea worked brilliantly, and doubtless helped stock the linen closets of many households.
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