Our Heritage
9 Adorable Vintage Johnson & Johnson Baby Ads
Johnson’s® Baby products have been helping keep little ones clean and comfortable for more than a century. Just look at these precious images from back in the day.
Some of the most recognizable images from Johnson & Johnson’s over-130-year history are tied to its iconic baby products, which the company began to sell back in 1894.
Johnson & Johnson was also at the forefront of advertising—the company began creating ads for its popular and trusted Johnson's® Baby products in the early 1900s. Products that, to this day, are developed with the health and safety of babies in mind.
In honor of Baby Safety Month this September, we consulted our historic annals to create this gallery of some of our most adorable baby ads.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
1944
When it debuted in 1944, Johnson’s® Baby Lotion quickly became popular with parents for its antiseptic qualities, which helped prevent diaper and heat rash and heal babies’ skin.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
1949
Throughout its history, Johnson & Johnson has used education as a way to promote not only its products, but also the latest medical and health knowledge, such as in this ad.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
1954
When Johnson’s® Baby Shampoo debuted in 1954, it famously promised “no more tears.” That catchy slogan actually represented a scientific breakthrough: The product was made with cleansing agents that were far milder than those found in traditional soaps, making it gentler and safer on babies' eyes, as well as any other body parts it touched.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
1954
While mothers and babies have been an iconic feature of Johnson & Johnson's advertising for nearly a century, the company has also celebrated the close bond between dads and their little ones, as seen in this ad.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
1954
The new shampoo wasn't just safer for babies: The company's research at the time showed that harsher soaps and shampoos made babies fussier and bath time stressful, taking away from the parent-child bonding experience.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
1959
This sweet color ad introduced Johnson’s® Baby Liquid Cream, an antiseptic moisturizing lotion.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
1960
To help support the increasing number of women who were working outside the home, giving them less time to wash cloth diapers, Johnson & Johnson pioneered disposable diapers in 1904 with Lister’s Sanitary Diapers. That product led the company to introduce Chux® mass-produced disposable diapers in 1935, which were waterproof and medicated to help keep babies rash-free. The diapers were on the market for several decades.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
1969
In 1969, the company reintroduced Johnson’s® Baby Lotion, with a new pink hue. The packaging also changed: The glass bottle was replaced with a plastic container that had a handy flip-cap.
Image courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
1969
This gorgeous print was part of a series of baby lotion ads that ran in leading national magazines, including Redbook, Parents and Good Housekeeping. In response to requests from consumers, Johnson & Johnson made the artwork available to the public, with the product mentions edited out, so they could be framed. The company had done the same thing with its famous Gladys Rockmore Davis ads in the late 1940s.