Breck Shampoo

Breck Shampoo is an American brand of shampoo that is also known for its Breck Girls advertising campaign.

In 1930 Dr. John H. Breck, Sr. (June 5, 1877 – February 1965) of Springfield, Massachusetts founded Breck Shampoo. In 1936, son Edward J. Breck assumed management of Breck Shampoo and hired commercial artist Charles Gates Sheldon (1889 – 1961) to draw women for their advertisements. Sheldon's early portraits for Breck were done in pastels, with a soft focus and halos of light and color surrounding them. He created romantic images of feminine beauty and purity. He preferred to draw "real women" as opposed to professional models.

In 1957 Ralph William Williams succeeded Sheldon as the Breck artist. Unlike Sheldon, he often used professional women. Breck advertisements ran regularly in magazines such as "Ladies Home Journal", "Woman's Home Companion", "Seventeen", "Vogue", "Glamour", and "Harpers Bazaar". They were most often on the back cover of the magazine. During these years, Breck Girls were identified through the company's sponsorship of America's Junior Miss contests. After Williams' death in 1976, the advertising tradition stopped.

In 1963, Breck was sold to Shulton Division of American Cyanamid, a chemical company based in New Jersey.

In 1990, Breck was sold to the Dial Corporation.

In 2006, Breck was acquired by Dollar Tree of Chesapeake, Virginia. It continues to sell the variety of shampoos, plus moisturizing body washes and bubble baths in a variety of fragrances, such as "Lavender Lily" (2006) and "Vanilla Melon" (2007).

The Breck Girls ads are now in the advertising history records in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Breck Girls

* 1937 Roma Whitney Armstrong at age 17, first Breck Girl
* 1937 Anya Taranda (1915-1970)
* 1968 Cheryl Tiegs
* 1968 Cybill Shepherd
* 1971, 1973 Jaclyn Smith
* 1972, 1974 Kim Basinger
* 1974 Brooke Shields
* 1976 Erin Gray

References in modern culture

*In "The Brady Bunch Movie", when Jan and Marcia go to the modeling agency, Marcia converses with a model, asking her what she models for. The model replies "Guess", as in the clothing brand. Oblivious of the brand, Marcia replies "Hmmm, are you a Breck Girl?"
*In the Broadway Musical "My Favorite Year", Benjy Stone exclaims in the first number, "I am in love with the Breck Girl!" He was referring to his love interest, KC Downing.
*On the Rush Limbaugh Radio Show, Rush repeatedly refers to "John Edwards" as The Breck Girl.

References

* [http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d7651.htm Breck Girls Collection c1936-1995] by Mimi Minnick, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
* [http://grapefruitmoongallery.com/artists/7.shtml Charles Sheldon] Grapefruit Moon Gallery
* [http://www.americanartarchives.com/sheldon.htm Charles Shelton] American Art Archives
* Goodrum, Charles & Helen Dalrymple, Advertising in America: the First 200 Years, New York, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1990, first ed.