Tide is the name of a popular laundry detergent on the market in the United States, Canada and other countries. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble. Tide is marketed under various sub-brands, such as 2x Ultra Tide. [1] First introduced in test markets in 1946 with national distribution reached in 1949, Tide was touted as "America's Washday Favorite." It quickly gained dominance in the detergent market, dwarfing the sales of other P&G products, such as Ivory Snow, as well as the competition from Rinso. The latter two were soap powders and flakes. Originally, Tide was a white powdered bead, but the brand line was later expanded to include a orange-tinted clear liquid form in 1984; today, liquid Tide is generally a dark blue color. Tide is recognized for its distinctive orange-and-yellow bullseye logo. The original logo was designed by Donald Deskey, a famous industrial and identity designer. Tide was the first product to be nationally packaged using Day-Glo colors, strikingly eye catching when first introduced. The logo people see today is a product of a slight modification for the product's fiftieth anniversary in 1996. Currently, the Tide brand is given to over half a dozen powders and liquid detergents in the United States alone. The potential of dodecyl benzene sulfonate, the basis for Tide, was confirmed by SRI in 1948 through strategic scientific and business consulting activities for the petroleum company Chevron. In 2006 the development of Tide was designated an ACS National Historical Chemical Landmark in recognition of its significance as the first heavy-duty synthetic detergent.[1]
