MAY 2019 GBF – CUSSONS
Great British
Factories
How a Russian aristocrat provided the inspiration
for one of Britain’s best-loved soap brands
Thomas Tomlinson Cussons was born in
Kingston-Upon-Hull, England. He forged an
early career as a successful wine merchant
and had two children, John and Alexander
Thomas Cussons.
The family moved to Leeds in 1870 and
took over a chemist business to become known
as Cussons & Son. After experimenting with
manufacturing cough medicine, glass bottles and
Rhubarb pills, the company fi nally opened a soap
factory in Salford in 1905. Thomas’ son Alexander
took control of the company when his father died.
Much earlier, in 1798, the Royal London
perfumery Bayley’s, of Bond Street, was visited
by Russian nobleman Count Olaf, who requested
they create a fragrance reminiscent of the distinct
aroma of the Russian Courts. They created the
fragrance named ‘Eau de Cologne Imperiale
Russe’, which became his favourite fragrance.
Bayley’s was acquired by Cussons Sons & Co
in 1921, along with many unique perfumes and
fragrances. The fi rst Imperial Leather soap bar
was produced in 1930 by Alexander Cussons’
daughter, Marjorie Goodwin, who used the
original ‘Eau de Cologne Imperiale Russe’ scent.
She became known as ‘The Mother of Imperial
Leather’ when she was appointed as managing
director of Cussons in the 1940s, while her father
became the company’s chairman.
The original bar is still in production today
and features a gold, branded sticker on top. Last
year, the public found out why the sticker was
there and how it lasted so long on the soap. It is
supposed to act as a soap stand, so the water isn’t
trapped under the soap when placed sticker side
down. This therefore makes the bar last longer,
which is one of the selling points Imperial Leather
used when advertising after the Second World
War, when rationing was still in eff ect.
Alexander Cussons was an avid collector of
rare orchids and tropical fi sh. He put his orchid
collection up for sale in 1948. The collection
amounted to over 6,000 plants. Cussons’ interest
in orchids and tropical fi sh infl uenced some of
the company’s fi rst printed advertisements, with
the line ‘both equally exquisite’.
In 1950, Imperial Leather chose to
advertise on TV, along with many other soap
manufacturers at the time. This was because
advertisers wanted to appeal to those who would
be watching the shows, which at the time would
mainly be housewives. This was also true for
radio dramas, which had advertisers
back in the 1930s. Household
items, such as soap, detergent
multinational company, with sales in many
Commonwealth countries. In 1975, however,
Cussons Group became PZ Cussons after an
acquisition by Paterson Zochonis.
The 80s saw the launch of the famous ‘triple
bath’ TV advertisements featuring a wealthy
mother, father and daughter enjoying separate
luxury baths, each in a bath of their own. Various
ads were produced on the same theme with
the family in a plane, on a train and in their
luxurious house with their butler.
The company continued to expand further
into pop-culture, sponsoring many sporting
events, and, in 2003, two theme park rides.
‘The Flume’ was opened in Alton Towers,
and ‘Bubbleworks’ in Chessington World of
Adventures. Both centred around water rides
with rubber ducks and soap bubbles. However,
both contracts ended in 2009, and the logos
were removed.
The company’s new £6m, 40,000 sq ft global
headquarters opened at Manchester Business
Park by the mayors of Manchester and Salford
in 2013. Designed to accommodate all the
company’s growth requirements, it’s home to
around 250 staff .
Imperial Leather now has a massive global
reach and is sold in over 50 countries around
the world, and now we know it’s not just because
of its bubbly personality.
The original scent was
produced to remind a Count
of his home country of Russia
1930
the original bar of Imperial
Leather was created in Leeds
Have you got a factory you think should feature in this column?
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www.imperialleather.co.uk/our-story
and shampoo, were obvious choices,
which is the reason why day-time dramas became
known as soap operas.
Earlier, in 1947, Cussons Sons & Co became
a public company. Cussons grew into a large
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