It turned out to be fascinating business history read. It is the story of one family over three generations to market a brushless shaving cream starting in the 1920s and ending with the sale of the company to Phillip-Morris in the 1960s. Burma-Shave was named because its most important ingredients came from Burma and the Far East. But of course its success was due to a novel road sign campaign, one that ended up spanning America. I found it interesting that during the 1930s the signs were part of an overall road safety campaign. Here are some of the jingles:
drive /with care be alive /when you /arrive.
DON'T TAKE /A CURVE /AT 60 PER /WE HATE TO LOSE /A CUSTOMER.
HARDLY A DRIVER / IS NOW ALIVE / WHO PASSED / ON HILLS / AT 75.
AT CROSSROADS / DON'T JUST / TRUST TO LUCK / THE OTHER CAR / MAY BE A TRUCK.
ON CURVE OR HILL / IF THE COPS / DON'T GET YOU / MORTICIANS WILL.
HER CHARIOT / RACED AT 80 PER / THEY HAULED AWAY / WHAT HAD / BEN HUR.
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