4.Pantene – Value in 2015: $5.36 billion
Pantene is a brand of hair care products owned by Procter & Gamble. The product line was first introduced in Europe in 1945 by Hoffmann-La Roche of Switzerland, which branded the name based on panthenol as a shampoo ingredient. It was purchased by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in 1985 in order for P&G to compete in the “beauty product” market rather than only functional products.The brand’s best-known product became the 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioning formula, Pantene Pro-V (Pantene Pro-Vitamin). The product became most noted due to an advertising campaign in the late 1980s in which fashion models said, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” Kelly Le Brock and Iman gained notoriety as the first television spokeswomen to speak the line. The line was criticized by feminists and became a pop-culture catchphrase for “annoying” narcissistic behavior.
[GARD]