Zippo originated in a small Pennsylvania
town at a time when the United States was in its worst depression in
history. The Zippo's story begins
at this
darkest moment. Zippo's success came about through initiative and hard
work, through the creation of a durable and functional product, through
ingenious
marketing and attentive service, and through the innovation of a lifetime
product warranty. It all started on one summer evening in 1932, at a dinner
dance held at the Bradford Country Club, on a hill on the outskirts of
Bradford, Pennsylvania. Attending the dance was George G. Blaisdell,
who later became
known as "Mr. Zippo." Blaisdell was one of those looking for
a new way to make money.
So far, he had yet to
bump into anything promising. Blaisdell, who had been growing tired
of the dance and idle talk of politics, went out onto
the terrace to have a smoke. There, he saw a friend of his trying to
light up a cigarette, taking out of his pocket an unsightly brass lighter
that was patently tawdry. The ugly lighter was totally out of place in
the hand of the perfectly attired gentleman. The sight of the man trying
clumsily to open the lighter's lid was so comical that Blaisdell almost
started to laugh. "You're all dressed up. Why don't you get a lighter
that looks decent?" blurted Blaisdell. His friend must have thought
it was none of Blaisdell business. "It works!" he declared,
defensively. Those two words, "It works!", whirled in George
Blaisdell's head that night. In these times, everyone must be looking
for something that is low-priced, yet sturdy and durable, he thought.
No, that isn't so; those things are always sought after, not just in
bad times. This lighter business is promising!
Blaisdell immediately obtained the sole U.S. rights from the Austrian
lighter manufacturer. To improve its appearance, Blaisdell chrome-plated
the lid of the lighter and raised the price to one dollar. He couldn't
sell any, he discovered that there were defects in the lighter. Blaisdell
was determined to develop a new lighter that would not fail to light.
Abandoning the defective Austrian lighter, Blaisdell rented a corner
of the second floor of the Rickerson & Pryde, Inc. building on Boylston
Street. Blaisdell paid $10 a month in rent, hired three people, and began
to develop a new lighter. He and his team used an electric hot plate
for soldering. Everything from the punch press to the welder was second-hand
equipment. The total cost of his equipment was $260 at the time. The
first thing Blaisdell did was to make the lighter smaller to be able
to fit in the palm of the hand, and he incorporated a hinge to hold the
lid to the bottom, making it an integral part of the lighter. This enabled
the user to open the lighter using only one hand. Blaisdell then placed
a wind hood around the wick, he utilized the hood design of the Austrian
lighter and named the new product "Zippo".
The Original Zippo
The original Zippo model was introduced
in 1932. This model had a rectangular shape with a protruding hinge holding
the lid to the body and three barrels. The following year, the model
was shortened by 1/4 inch. The retail price of the original windproof
model was $1.95. In the company's ledger at the end of the first month,
82 units were produced and sales were $69.15. To market the new product,
Blaisdell came up with the practice of a lifetime warranty, a concept
that began with the first Zippo lighter and has remained the same to
the present day. The repair and sale of parts after the expiration
of the warranty was a major source of the business revenue.
Zippo repaired all types of defects without charging a cent. The lighter
was returned postpaid within 48 hours with a note reading, "We thank
you for the opportunity of serving your lighter". The concept of
a lifetime warranty became Zippo's primary marketing scheme.
Engraving
on a Zippo
Zippo began to engrave initials and providing
two types of metal insignia on the lighter (the "Scotty Group", depicting dogs, and the "Drunk",
portraying a drunkard leaning on a gaslight pole in 1936. The engraving of
the initials cost the owner of the lighter one dollar, or 75 cents for an
insignia. The return shipment was paid by the owner, C.O.D. The initials
were engraved in a frame against a background color. The various colors includes:
red, green, blue, yellow, orange, purple, and white. During the thirties
and forties, initialed gifts were very popular. It gave the consumer the
sense of individuality.
In 1936, Zippo appeared on a mail-order catalog. It is a wholesale catalog
of a company in Minnesota directed to retail stores. The retail price was $2.00
which increased slightly from the price first sold. Blaisdell also visited
many retail stores all over the country to make business relations.
Zippo
Lighters in Advertising
The Zippo was first introduced as a promotional item in 1936 by the
Kendall Refining Company. Kendall ordered 500 Zippo lighters with their
trademark glued to the case for advertising purposes. This was the beginning
of the specialty advertising business for the Zippo. Zippo Manufacturing
Company discovered the market potential of the product as an adverting
medium. Soon, Zippo produced a pamphlet aimed at Corporations to use
Zippo as a pocket salesman. Designs such as the military, airplanes,
tourists spots, sports teams, comic characters and universities also
appeared on Zippo's lighters. Corporate novelty and commemorative lighters
were produced only in limited numbers. In essence, the Zippo lighters
were the salesman in a pocket.
Zippo & Marlboro
Marlboro cigarette was first marketed in 1924 by Philip Morris. The
advertising images used were those of cowboys, athletes, and pilots.
From 1963, the Cowboy became the sole image of the cigarette. Zippo first
appeared in a Marlboro advertisement in 1954, coinciding with the first
time the cowboy appeared in the role of Marlboro's image character. Zippos
were used by Philip Morris in promotional campaigns as well. Ever since,
Zippo has had an inseparable relationship with Marlboro, both as a campaign
item and an advertising tool.
Zippo Sports Series
In 1937, the sports related designs began to appear on the Zippo lighters.
The first sports model was the 275, this number represented the price of the
model, which was sold for $2.75. The 275 models with a carrying strap also
appeared in the Sports Series. Earlier sports models included the Golfer, the
Fisherman, the Bulldog, the Hunter, the Greyhound, and the Elephant. In 1938,
the Scotch Terrier, the Fisherman and the Bulldog were the only models on the
Sports Series. In 1959, models in the New Sports Series displayed designs on
both the bottom and the lid. This series featured six models.
Five models depicting five types of sports and their players and the Slim Zippos
Lighter depicting a woman bowling. From 1970 to 1981 another Sports Series
was introduced without the designs on the lid. Some models shifted from the
earlier Sports Series to the Town and Country Series. Many of the animal designs
are now included in the Wildlife Series.
The Windproof Lady
In 1937, Zippo ran a one-page advertisement
in the December issue of Esquire, aimed at the Christmas shoppers.
The ad had an illustration
of a woman lighting up a cigarette in the wind. The "Windproof Beauty",
drawn by Enoc Boles. It was a different image from the previous image,
which emphasized outdoor sports. Using an illustration of an attractive
woman, the advertisers were aiming to appeal directly to the readers
of the magazine, which was targeted at the urban male. The Windproof
Beauty illustration was also used for packaging and became one of Zippo's
characteristic images. This was a memorable advertisement for Zippo,
the company would later run regular advertisements in many major magazines
such as Life, the Saturday Evening Post, and Reader's Digest.
Zippo During Wartime
During WWII Zippo President G.G. Blaisdell shipped as many Zippo lighters
as possible to post exchanges and to the front line. Soldiers were favorable
of the Zippo lighters because they were inexpensive, reliable, and it
always worked when it was needed. During this time, Zippo was faced with
material shortages. Zippo had no choice but to use low quality porous
steel instead of brass. The chrome or nickel finishing coat could not
be applied to the lighter, this left a black-matte finish on the surface.
The black, rough-surfaced Zippo is the authentic World War II Zippo.
The advantage of the black finish was that it did not reflect light that
would attract enemy attention on the battlefield. No other event in history
had increased the popularity of the Zippo as did the second World War.
Filling Instructions - 1941
During the Vietnam war, several items became the canvasses on which
soldiers painted their feelings. The Zippo was one of these items. According
to collectors, 200,000 Zippos were used by American soldiers in Vietnam.
The Zippo played a part in almost every daily activity of a soldier.
The shiny top provided a handy mirror and the lighter's flame warmed
the stew at meal time.
Soldiers kept salt in the bottom cavities, called canned bottoms, of
their Zippos, to replenish lost body salt. Other legendary Zippos were
used to transmit signals or even provided a shield against enemy bullets.
Staff Sergeant Naugle, who was saved because he was able to signal his
position to the rescue helicopter, had a Zippo in his hand. Among men
that had a close call with death, one of the luckiest was Sergeant Martinez,
who Kept a Zippo in his chest pocket. A bullet struck his chest, only
to be stopped by the Zippo. This was reported in Life magazine and also
appeared in various advertisements.
Zippos were also used in military operations, in
which troopers would spray gasoline over the area to burn enemy compounds
and dwellings. A
soldier would usually carry a Zippo in the chest pocket of his jungle
fatigues. Some would fasten one onto the camouflage band of the helmet
or put one into the magazine pouch of an M-16. Alcohol, diesel oil and
even gasoline were substitutes for lighter fluids. Zippos were also used
as IDs and canvasses. Post Exchanges in Vietnam carries a large amount
of Zippo lighters, this explains the reason why there was so many Zippos
in Vietnam. By this time, Zippo merchandise quickly found its way onto
the black market. Soldiers were able to buy brand new Zippos without
having to go to the PX store. Vietnamese craftsmen would engrave anything
from pictures to phrases onto the Zippo for the soldiers. The most popular
motif engraved on soldiers' Zippo was the map of Vietnam. Every soldier
had his own personalized Zippo, which accompanied him until the fall
of Saigon.
Zippo lighters used by American soldiers during the Vietnam War have
become collector's items. Every Zippo from the war bears mute witness,
conveying a great sense of having been there on the battlefield. The
soldiers who faced death and stood on the brink of hell, carrying their
Zippos, transformed these simple lighters into an integral part of their
own bodies and souls. Zippo lighters have since became priceless collector's
items.
