alt=|thumb|A close-up of an open Band-Aid

Band-Aid is a brand of adhesive bandages distributed by the consumer health company Kenvue, spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023. Invented in 1920, the brand has become a generic term for adhesive bandages in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and others.

History

The Band-Aid was invented in 1920 by a Johnson & Johnson employee, Earle Dickson, in Highland Park, New Jersey, for his wife Josephine, who frequently injured, cut and burned herself while cooking. The prototype was a strip of gauze down the middle of a long piece of surgical tape that allowed her to dress her wounds without assistance. Dickson passed the idea on to his employer, which went on to produce and market the product as the Band-Aid. Dickson had a successful career at Johnson & Johnson, rising to vice president until his retirement in 1957. He remained on the board of directors until his death in 1961. In 1921, the product made just $3,000.

In 1956, the first decorative Band-Aids were introduced, featuring its Stars ‘n Strips design.

In 2022, Band-Aid was named the most trusted brand in the United States, beating the second place brand, Lysol, by more than two points.

thumb|center|upright=1.5|Band-Aid tins (1942, 1958)

Trademark status

Over time, Band-Aid has become a well-known example of a genericized trademark in the United States, Canada and South America. Johnson & Johnson has registered Band-Aid as a trademark on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and has tried to prevent its genericization in its marketing.

See also

  • Elastoplast, a comparable European brand and genericized trademark

References

  • Band-Aid Brand History
  • Johnson & Johnson First Aid Website