Brillo Shines Bright at 100

WALLED LAKE, Mich., Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Brillo^®, one of the world's most trusted and well-known household cleaning brands will be celebrating its 100 year anniversary on January 31. It's been an interesting century for the brand, which grew from humble beginnings to being world famous through appearances in popular films, music and art. To commemorate this milestone, the brand is planning a year-long celebration that will feature limited-edition nostalgic packaging, a partnership with The Andy Warhol Museum, Ohio Brillo Day on January 31, 2013, anniversary-themed advertising, social media contests, giveaways and more.

"Brillo^® has been cleaning American households for a century now," said John Armaly Jr., President and CEO of Armaly Brands, maker of Brillo^® Soap Pads and Brillo Estracell^® sponges. "Our year-long celebration is a thank you to generations of loyal consumers who have found real results from our products over the years. We look forward to the next 100 years of providing consumers with the quality they have come to expect and trust from Brillo^®."

In the early 1900s a breakthrough in home cookware was taking hold in America. Aluminum pots and pans were replacing heavy cast iron cookware in homes throughout the nation. But, there was a problem. The coal-fired stoves of the day quickly blackened the pots, rendering them unattractive and next-to-impossible to clean. Even the new gas stoves of the time did little to help.

Meanwhile, a cookware peddler and a jeweler (his brother-in-law), were working on a solution.  Using jeweler's rouge, soap and fine steel wool from Germany, they found a method to scour the pots and pans when they began to blacken. The idea worked, and the peddler soon added this new product to his line of goods.

Demand for the steel wool and the cake of soap with the jeweler's rouge rose quickly and before long, the peddler and the jeweler realized that the idea was worth patenting. They sought advice from New York attorney Milton Loeb. They lacked the money to pay for legal services, so they offered the attorney an interest in their "scouring pad" business instead. Loeb accepted the offer and on January 31, 1913, Brillo^® was born. The partnership formed between the peddler, the jeweler and the attorney became known as the Brillo Manufacturing Company, with headquarters and production operations in Brooklyn, New York and London, Ohio.

Brillo^® went on to become one of America's most recognizable brands, featured in modern art, songs, movies—and of course, households nationwide. Andy Warhol helped make Brillo an iconic brand in 1964 with his Brillo^® Box sculptures. In 2010 Brillo^® was acquired by Armaly Brands, maker of industry leading Estracell^® sponges. As a result, a new line of Brillo Estracell^®…More Sanitary! sponges were introduced, continuing a long history of innovation from one of the world's most trusted household cleaning brands.

Today, the company provides a wide variety of household cleaning products and remains dedicated to one ideal…helping people everywhere enjoy clean, healthy lifestyles.

About Brillo^®

For nearly 100 years, Brillo^® has remained one of America's most well known and most trusted household cleaning brands. Our iconic line of products include Brillo^® Steel Wool Soap Pads and Brillo Estracell^® More Sanitary Sponges. Independent test results demonstrate that bacteria will not feed and survive on the sponge fibers of Estracell^® sponge material…Naturally! The unique cell structure rinses cleaner and dries out faster eliminating the perfect breeding condition for bacteria and fungal growth. These qualities make Estracell^® MORE SANITARY! Armaly Brands, maker of Brillo^®, Brillo Estracell^®, AutoShow^® and Armaly ProPlus^® is based in Walled Lake, MI. Brillo products are made in the USA. For more information, visit www.brillo.com.

SOURCE Brillo