Band-Aid

Band-Aid is a brand of adhesive bandages distributed by the consumer health company Kenvue, spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023.[3] Invented in 1920, the brand has become a generic term for adhesive bandages in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, the Philippines, and others.

This article is about one brand of adhesive bandage. For the musical ensemble, see Band Aid (band). For other uses, see Band Aid.
Band-Aid
Product typeAdhesive bandage/dressing
OwnerKenvue
CountryU.S.
IntroducedJune 1920 (invention)
MarketsWorldwide
Tagline
  • "I am stuck on Band-Aid brand 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!" (US)[1]
  • "Stays on until you want it off" (Aus)[2]
Websitewww.band-aid.com
A close-up of an open Band-Aid

History

The Band-Aid was invented in 1920 by a Johnson & Johnson employee, Earle Dickson, in Highland Park, New Jersey,[4] for his wife Josephine, who frequently cut and burned herself while cooking.[5] The prototype allowed her to dress her wounds without assistance. Dickson passed the idea on to his employer, which went on to produce and market the product as the Band-Aid. Dickson had a successful career at Johnson & Johnson, rising to vice president before his retirement in 1957.

The original Band-Aids were handmade and not very popular. By 1924, Johnson & Johnson introduced machine-made Band-Aids and began the sale of sterilized Band-Aids in 1939.[6]

In World War II, millions were shipped overseas, helping popularize the product. Since then, Johnson & Johnson has estimated a sale of over 100 billion Band-Aids worldwide.[7]

In 1951, the first decorative Band-Aids were introduced. They continue to be a commercial success, with such themes as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Superman, Spider-Man, Rocket Power, Rugrats, smiley faces, Barbie, Dora the Explorer, Elmo, and Batman.

In 2022, Band-Aid was named the most trusted brand in the United States, beating the second place brand, Lysol, by more than two points.[8]

Trademark status

Band-Aid has, over time, become a well-known example of a genericized trademark in the United States, Canada and South America,[9] but Johnson & Johnson has registered Band-Aid as a trademark on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the registration is valid and legal.[10] Johnson & Johnson continues to defend the Band-Aid trademark against it being genericized.[11]

See also

References
  1. "History of Innovation". Band-Aid. Johnson & Johnson. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  2. "Band-Aid". Band-Aid. Johnson & Johnson. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  3. "A new name for an iconic consumer health company".
  4. "Historical timeline". hphistory.org. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
  5. "BAND-AID® Brand Heritage". Johnson & Johnson. April 2015. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  6. "The History of the Band-Aid". Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  7. "The Story of the Black Band-Aid". The Atlantic. 2013-06-06. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  8. "Most Trusted Brands 2022". Morning Consult. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  9. "Has band-aid become a generic trademark?". genericides.org. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  10. "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval: BAND-AID". USPTO. May 15, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  11. Wenlei, Ma (July 1, 2014). "The curse of generification for brands such as Band-Aid, Hoover, Google, Xerox and escalator". News.com.au. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
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