Putting You in Your Rightful Place

The Hertz Corporation is the world's largest car rental company, handling more than 30 million rentals worldwide with approximately 6,500 locations in more than 140 countries and a fleet of 550,000 vehicles, including 300,000 vehicles in the United States alone. 

In 1918, Walter Jacobs, the twenty-two-year-old pioneer of auto renting, began his Ford rental business with only twelve Model-Ts in Chicago. He sold the company to John D. Hertz in 1923 but remained a prominent figure in the company until his retirement more than fifty years later. In 1925, Hertz pioneered a coast-to-coast car rental network. Together, Jacobs and Hertz swiftly turned the small company into a well-known brand, Hertz Car Rental. By 1932, Chicago's Midway Hertz became the first car rental company to open an airport rental service at Chicago Midway Airport. Hertz was generating annual revenues of about $1 million. General Motors would later buy out Hertz's Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company, renaming the car rental portion of the business the Hertz Drive-Ur-Self System.

Hertz's iconic advertising slogan through the Sixties was developed by the Norman, Craig & Kummel agency in 1959. The television ads were famous for their gravity-defying visuals of a driver being placed magically in the driver's seat (always a convertible) from mid-air. The added jingle, "Let Hertz put you in the driver’s seat," was sung by the expansive vocal range of the a cappella quartet, The Hi-Lo's. It ranks among the "Top 100 Advertising Campaigns of the Century" by Advertising Age magazine. Other ads featured performance cars you could rent, including the brand-new Corvette Sting Ray (left).

Note: Through its subsidiary Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation, the company also rents construction and industrial equipment to contractors and industrial and government markets. Hertz's Claim Management Corporation subsidiary is a leading third-party administrator, while Hertz Technologies, Inc. provides telecommunications services to corporations. Hertz Local Edition specializes in providing vehicles to the insurance community and auto dealers.

The Electric Hand Torch

In the 1890s, Eveready Battery Company, Inc. was marketing what was called an electric hand torch, known today as the flashlight in most countries. By 1913, the company was acquired by the National Carbon Company, Inc., a unit of Union Carbide & Carbon Corporation, later known as Union Carbide. Sales of its Eveready Layerbilt batteries grew rapidly in the 1920s because of the new craze for the radio, which was battery-operated at the time. The company sponsored The Eveready Hour program.

Perhaps the most important battery-powered invention was the portable transistor radio, which was being sold around the world. The long-lasting alkaline battery was invented in 1957. In 1959, Union Carbide formed a Consumer Products Division in order to capitalize on the trend toward portable radios and other battery-operated gadgets. Fast forward to 1986, as Union Carbide was forced to sell its productive battery unit and restructure in an effort to quell a hostile takeover. Ralston Purina Company was the buyer. Eveready began selling its first lithium AA battery in 1992. 

Eveready established an advertising campaign in 1988 with a series of fake advertisements that would be interrupted by a drum-banging pink bunny in flip-flops. The ads went head-to-head with their rival, Duracell, which had its own bunnies. Eveready's commercials appeared to be real ads for a product, then suddenly the rabbit burst onto the screen, with the slogan “Still going...” Despite the popular Energizer Bunny mascot, the humorous ads did little to increase sales.

Purina spun off Eveready in 2000, renaming the business unit Energizer Holdings, Inc. It is one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of dry cell batteries and flashlights. Its stiffest competition continues to be Duracell. 

Shampoo Tube

If you are of a certain age, Prell Shampoo was a common product in your home. Attractively priced, it was an iconic, clear green concentrate in a unique, unbreakable soft plastic tube. It has not disappeared from shelves since 1947. It continues to be a viable choice for both women and men.

Prell shampoo was founded by Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1955, Prell was initially marketed toward women "who want their hair to have that radiantly alive look." But men discovered it as well, who seem to be attracted to its nostalgic fragrance. Concentrated Prell Radiant Shampoo dates back to around 1957 and was designed by Donald Deskey, a renowned figure in modern industrial design. Prell became one of the top-selling shampoos by 1977.

Throughout Prell's long history, it has been loved for its rich lather and clean scent. It is the oldest consistently made American shampoo brand. Prell, with its distinctive green color, became widely recognized due to its unique advertising campaigns and appearances in popular culture. 

Procter & Gamble sold the brand to Prestige Brands International in November 1999. Prestige then sold Prell to Ultimark Products in October 2009. In 2016, Scott's Liquid Gold-Inc. acquired Prell. In turn, Prell Products Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, acquired Prell from Scott's Liquid Gold in 2022. Despite the advertising glut of more expensive shampoos with ingredients that are difficult to spell, Prell remains a popular product for many.