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Philips Norelco

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Philips Norelco is the American brand name for electric shavers and other personal care products made by the Consumer Lifestyle division of Philips.[1][2]

For personal care products marketed outside the United States, Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands, Philips used the Philishave trademark until 2006. Philips then dropped that name and began using the Philips name.

History

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From the early 1940s, Philco was legally able to prevent Philips from using the name "Philips" on any products marketed in the United States, because the two names were judged to sound similar enough to cause consumer confusion and potentially lead to claims of trademark infringement.[3] This was made official and legally binding on January 19, 1943, when the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff in the corresponding case of Philco Corporation v. Philips Mfg. Co., that allowed Philco to prevent Philips from using their name on their products sold in the US.[4] As a result, Philips instead used the name Norelco, an acronym for "North American Philips [electrical] Company". Philips continued to use that name for all their U.S. products until 1974, when Philips purchased The Magnavox Company. Philips then relabeled their U.S. consumer electronics products as Magnavox, but retained the Norelco name for their other U.S. products. When Philips bought Philco in 1981, Philips was able to freely use the Philips name for all of their U.S. products, but they chose to retain the Norelco name for personal care appliances, and the Magnavox name for economy-priced consumer electronics.

In 1980, Norelco increased its focus on small recorders production.[5]

Norelco was a manucturer of Clean Water Machine and from 1982 to 1986, it sold more than 186,000 filters for its device.[6]

In 1982, Norelco acquired Schick brand.[7]

In 1983, Norelco settled its lawsuit against Remington.[8][9]

One reason for retaining the Norelco name for personal care appliances was that a shift to the Philips name could have alienated those American buyers who were reluctant to purchase foreign brands. The market share of Philips, a European company, was very low in the U.S. compared to other countries, but with their Norelco and Magnavox brands, they were able to get a larger market share.[10]

Philips began co-branding their shavers "Philips Norelco" in 2005 to improve Philips' brand recognition in the United States, a first step towards an intended phasing out of the Norelco name.[11]

Norelco shavers

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Robotskin advertisement
 
Philips Norelco OneBlade electric shaver

Philips began making electric shavers in 1939. World War II delayed their introduction in the United States until 1948. The product was not successful until a two-headed model was introduced in 1951.

In 1997, Norelco introduced Compact Travel Razor.[12]

Philips introduced the Philips Norelco Bodygroom shaver for shaving male body hair in 2006. An online website as well as a demonstration on Howard Stern's show garnered attention. It was advertised in a science fiction series of adverts and shorts directed by Bruno Aveillan called Robotskin in 2007.[13]

Norelco tape recorders

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Norelco Model 95 Miniature Cassette Recorder, The Idea Machine, Made In Holland, Circa 1974

Norelco introduced the Philips 3 inch open reel portable tape player/recorder, being the EL 3586/25 in the United States under the Norelco brand name in November 1963. It was called the Continental 101.[14]

Norelco video cameras

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Further information: Broadcast Television Systems Inc., TeleMation Inc., and Grass Valley (company)

Philips made and marketed a line of Norelco professional video cameras in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. CBS was a notable customer, using models PC-60, PC-70, PC-72, PCP-90, the LDH series, and later the LDK series. The PC-60 was notable as one of the first major color television cameras, competing with the RCA TK-40/41 line but eventually winning out as industry standard (so much so that NBC, which was owned by RCA, bought Norelco PC cameras for sports and outside broadcasts) due to its light weight, servo-operated zoom lens, and advanced color reproduction. By the 1980s, the Norelco name was dropped in favor of Philips. Later marketed using the BTS—Broadcast Television Systems Inc.—brand name in a joint venture with Bosch, the division was subsequently sold to Thomson's Grass Valley, then to Belden.

Presidents

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Criticism

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Philips Norelco has been involved in multiple advertisement-related controversies.[16][17] Its water filters were criticized by Consumer Reports for releasing methylene chloride.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Walker, Rob (2007-08-05). "Buzz Marketing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  2. ^ Taub, Eric A. (2008-12-25). "Philips Electronics reinvents itself, again". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  3. ^ Reeves, Jayson (2012-10-01). Corporate Mergers Transitioning the American Economy: Corporate Buyouts and a Junk Bond Market Out of Control. iUniverse. ISBN 9781475937831.
  4. ^ [1], Casetext.com listing for Philco Corporation v. Philips Mfg. Co.
  5. ^ "COMPANY NEWS; Norelco Shifts Focus On Small Recorder Market Share Is Improved Long-Term Success Questioned Kaiser Resources Control Near Bache to Offer $25 Million Issue". The New York Times. 1980-10-08. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  6. ^ Hinds, Michael Decourcy (1988-10-08). "CONSUMER'S WORLD; Slipping Through the Cracks: The Filter That Contaminated". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  7. ^ Lueck, Thomas J. (1986-12-23). "REMINGTON IS BRANCHING OUT". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  8. ^ Ap (1983-07-28). "Remington Settles Its Norelco Suit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  9. ^ Ap (1983-07-07). "Norelco Shaver Claim Spurs Suit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  10. ^ "Electricshavereview.com". www.electricshavereview.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
  11. ^ "Case Study: Philips' Norelco / How neck hairs led to the remaking of an icon". Business Week. 2007-06-11. Archived from the original on June 6, 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
  12. ^ Richardson, Donald Charles (1997-09-21). "Grooming Gear Hits the Road". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  13. ^ Miller, Ellen Byron and Stephen (25 November 2006). "'Norelco Man' Boldly Marketed Electric Shavers". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  14. ^ Lynch, Joe (2023-02-27). "Unwinding the Birth, Rise, Fall and Return of the Cassette Tape". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  15. ^ "Wild Days at Norelco". Wall Street Journal. 30 November 2006. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  16. ^ "Gillette Rebuffed as Judge Backs Norelco". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1996-12-04. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  17. ^ "REMINGTON'S SUIT CHALLENGES PHILIPS ON ELECTRIC SHAVERS". The New York Times. 1982-02-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  18. ^ "A PRODUCT UNDER FIRE". The New York Times. 1988-10-08. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
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