When you hear the words “tape” and “Johnson & Johnson,” what initially comes to mind? In all likelihood, you picture the company’s ubiquitous white first aid tape.
But at one point in its storied history, Johnson & Johnson actually produced a decidedly more colorful tape—the kind that added a bit of whimsy to holiday packages.
Tape with a touch of holiday cheer
Like so many good ideas, the company’s decision to branch out into producing decorative tape came about as a way to fill a need.
In the early 1920s, the company noticed that a pharmacist in Detroit was ordering an unusually large amount of medical tape—and there was a surprising reason why.
“The druggist explained that he’d been selling thousands of rolls of medical tape to car manufacturers who were using it to help with two-tone paint jobs,” explains Johnson & Johnson’s in-house historian Margaret Gurowitz.
Sensing an opportunity, the company established a special unit to produce tape for auto manufacturers. The new business was so successful that it soon expanded to cover other types of tape for industrial and home use—including Texcel gift wrap tape, featuring holiday motifs like poinsettias and Santa sleighs.
“During the holidays, Johnson & Johnson also sold candy cane and other holiday stencils (shown right) that could be traced onto fabric patches and cut out to adorn tablecloths and tree-skirts,” adds Gurowitz.
In the 1990s, Johnson & Johnson divested its non-medical tape business, but there are no doubt some vintage candy cane stencils just waiting to be pulled out this holiday season.
