Hudson’s Soap Advertising

Hudson’s soap was a famous brand in Great Britain.  This inkwell is an early advertising piece.  Different slogans are printed on each side:  “All our goods reliable”, “Wash up with Hudson’s Soap”, “High Class Qualities”, “For the People – Hudson’s Soap”.  The advertising also used abbreviations or codes including:  BOK = Best of Kind, and IPH = Improves Public Health. Two examples are displayed, the second one in rough shape. The top has notches for holding pens.

Robert Spear Hudson, the founder of Hudson’s Soap, was known for his unprecedented levels of advertising. He arranged for striking posters to be produced by professional artists, which was a unique technique at that time. The slogan “A little of Hudson’s goes a long way” appeared on the coach that ran between Liverpool and York. Horse, steam, and electric tramcars bore an advertisement saying, “For Washing Clothes”.