Brut () is a

brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

for a line of men's grooming and fragrance products. It was launched in 1964 by the American firm Fabergé and has been owned since 1989 by the British multinational company

Unilever Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy dri ...

. The Brut line grew to include aftershave, balms and

deodorant A deodorant is a substance applied to the body to prevent or mask body odor due to bacterial breakdown of perspiration or vaginal secretions, for example in the armpits, groin, or feet. A subclass of deodorants, called antiperspirants, prevents ...

. Packaged in a green glass bottle with a silver-coloured medallion, it is still sold as of 2022.

History

In 1968, a budget range was marketed as Brut 33, because it contained 33% of the fragrance of the original product. Packaged in cheaper plastic bottles, it was described by the company as a "lighter fragrance." Fabergé was taken over by

in 1989, and it was transferred to the

Chesebrough-Pond's Pond's is an American brand of beauty and health care products, currently owned by Unilever. History Pond's Cream was invented in the United States as a patent medicine by pharmacist Theron T. Pond (1800–1852) of Utica, New York, in 1846. M ...

division in 1989. There, the Brut 33 range took over the name Brut. The Fabergé version became "Brut Classic by Fabergé" and retained its distinctive packaging. Apart from some regions, Unilever sells Brut around the world, with big markets in the United Kingdom, France and the Far East. Australia produces its own Brut aftershave, which is purported to have a slightly different scent. In Brazil, there is a Brut branded lather shaving cream in a tube, with the classic Brut fragrance. In 2003, rights to the brand were purchased for some regions by Idelle Laboratories, a division of

Helen of Troy Limited Helen of Troy Limited is an American publicly traded designer, developer and worldwide marketer of consumer brand-name housewares, health and home, and beauty products under owned and licensed brands. It is the parent corporation of OXO Internat ...

. Called "The Essence of Man" in its advertising, Brut is marketed in the United States as representing traditional masculine strength of character. Sponsorship of the

NHRA The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsp ...

and of driver Ron Capps highlights fatherhood, teamwork and courage as hallmarks of the user. It is sold in drugstores.

Celebrity endorsements

The star of the 1970s United Kingdom advertising campaign was boxer Henry Cooper, who used the slogan "splash it all over". Motorcycling world champion

Barry Sheene Barry Steven Frank Sheene (11 September 1950 – 10 March 2003) was a British professional motorcycle racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing and was a two-time world champion, winning consecutive 500cc titles in 1976 and 1977 ...

, athlete

David Hemery David Peter Hemery, (born 18 July 1944) is a British former track and field athlete, best known as the winner of the 400 metres hurdles at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Early life Hemery was born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, but ...

, showjumper Harvey Smith and footballer Kevin Keegan, also appeared in the campaigns. In Germany, the brand was endorsed in the 1970s by football player, Franz Beckenbauer. Another footballer, Paul Gascoigne, also starred in an advertising campaign, although he was later dropped amid domestic violence allegations made by his ex-wife. In 1973,

Allan Moffat Allan George Moffat OBE (born 10 November 1939 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian-Australian racing driver known for his four championships in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four ...

drove a Brut 33 sponsored Ford Mustang in the Australian Touring Car Championship, followed by a Brut 33 sponsored XB

Ford Falcon GT The Ford Falcon GT is an automobile produced by Ford Australia from 1967 to 1976 as the performance version of its Falcon model range. Its production was resumed by a joint venture in 1992 and 1997 with Tickford, and then again between 2003 an ...

in 1974. In 1980, Joe Namath starred in an infamous ad which depicted him having a “Brut Day,” in which everything went his way. In 2020, Unilever rebooted its Brut advertising by recruiting former footballer

Vinnie Jones Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer. Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chels ...

for their "No Messing About" advertisement campaign. In its 'tongue-in-cheek' advertisement, poking fun at more pretentious perfume adverts, Brut urged you to forget silk sheets, sexual prowess and gold nuggets, with the slogan "It just smells good - no messing about."

Popular culture

When he acted out the role of

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

, Roger Moore once used an aerosol version similar to this deodorant for self-defence in '' Live and Let Die'', by touching the ignited end of a cigar he was smoking to the aerosol spray and thus improvising a crude flamethrower, since the propellant chemicals are flammable. In 2015, Jim Harbaugh was quoted saying "I've been a Brut man since I was 10 years old." Also,

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

used Brut. In the film ''

Over the Top Over the top may refer to: Music * "Over the Top", a 2017 song by Hey! Say! JUMP * ''Over the Top'' (Cozy Powell album), 1979 album by British drummer Cozy Powell * ''Over the Top'' (Infinite album), 2011 album by South Korean band Infinite * ...

'', Sylvester Stallone picks up a

tractor trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer ...

of Brut in California before taking his son on an eastbound cross-country trip.

Acquisitions

In 2006, after acquiring partial ownership of the Brut copyright and patents, Idelle Laboratories launched Brut Revolution, an "ozonic" variant on the core fragrance. "As Different As You Are" is the theme of the fragrance, which is housed in a blue and silver bottle, breaking with the traditional green of the original.

Fragrances

Apart from Brut original, the range has grown in recent years with new fragrances such as Oceans, Identity, Revolution, Instinct, Musk, and Passion. The whole range is available in roll-on, spray, after shave, splash-on, shower gel, and Eau de Toilette.

References

External links

*
Brut Cologne New Zealand official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brut (Cologne) Perfumes Shaving cream brands Products introduced in 1964 Helen of Troy Limited