General

Mr. Clean goes to the car wash

P&G’s bald, smiling pitchman gets a new gig

Mr. Clean, one of the dominant brands in household cleaning products, is about to take on a new job: washing cars. Procter & Gamble, the giant maker of household products ranging from toothpaste to dog food, said it plans to open a chain of car washes across the U.S. under the Mr. Clean banner. To get things started, in December, it bought a 14-location franchise based in Atlanta.  The company, which is under increasing pressure to grow its business in tough times, narrowed in on the surprisingly lucrative car wash industry–professional car washes pulls in $35 billion a year, according to P&G. And with an aging population that’s less and less interested in washing its own cars, it’s only expected to grow. Sticking the Mr. Clean name, not to mention that easily recognizable bald, smiling face to the business can’t hurt either.

The Wall Street Journal

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