Tide Pods Explained

Tide Pods
Producttype:laundry detergent pod
Currentowner:Procter & Gamble
Country:United States
Related:Tide & Ariel
Markets:International (but not worldwide).

Tide Pods (stylized Tide PODS) are a line of laundry detergent pods from Procter & Gamble under the Tide brand.

History

Procter & Gamble originally created laundry pods when they launched Salvo powder detergent tablets in 1960, which later disappeared from the market in 1978.[1] In 2000, Proctor and Gamble released Tide Tabs tablets which were filled with powder detergent. Tide Tabs had a tendency to not dissolve completely and worked only in hot water, which led to the product being discontinued in 2002.[2]

Development of Tide Pods began in 2004 and reportedly involved over 75 employees and 450 packaging and design sketches. The film in Tide Pods is a polyvinyl alcohol film developed by MonoSol which is intended to dissolve in any temperature water. The pod detergent is also 10 percent water by volume compared to liquid Tide detergent which is 50 percent water by volume. This was done to prevent the pod from melting from having high water volume. Tide Pods have three chambers, which contain a cleanser, brightener, and fabric softener. The chambers are used to keep each part separated until the pod dissolves in water.[3]

In 2012, Procter & Gamble launched Tide Pods with a $150 million ad campaign which included a television ad at the 84th Academy Awards. The product was very successful in its first year following its launch, with sales of around $500 million in North America, and a 75% market share in the single-dose laundry packet market.[4] [5] [6]

Consumption

Concern has been raised over children and elderly people with dementia accidentally consuming Tide Pods, as its appearance and packaging design can have the same appeal to a child as hard candy with patterned designs, and be confused as such.[7] [8] In 2012, in response to a child swallowing Tide Pods, Procter & Gamble said they would make this product more difficult to open by adding a double latch to the lid, and have also re-focused their advertising to make clear the product should be out of a child's reach at all times. The packaging was also changed to an opaque orange rather than the original clear plastic gumball machine-type presentation to make them look less enticing.[9]

Ingestion of pods can lead to death in some cases.[10]

"Tide Pod Challenge"

Beginning in late 2017 a viral Internet trend, called the "Tide Pod Challenge", emerged on Twitter and various other social media websites, in which participants intentionally ingest detergent pods.[11] Several children and teens have been injured, some severely, from this intentional consumption.[12] The challenge (and subsequent meme) were popularized on Twitter and several people have eaten Tide Pods on camera.[13] One company began making edible replica "pods" and several internet personalities have posted about making edible "Tide Pods".[14]

Tide later partnered with American football player Rob Gronkowski, having him issue the message: "What the heck is going on, people? Use Tide Pods for washing. Not eating. Do not eat."[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Unilever airs plans to introduce laundry detergent in tablet form . . 2000-07-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210103123036/https://www.deseret.com/platform/amp/2000/7/27/19520326/unilever-airs-plans-to-introduce-laundry-detergent-in-tablet-form . 2021-01-03 . live.
  2. Web site: Tide Pods: How a product became so appealing that it inadvertently turned into a public health risk abc7news.com . 2024-07-24 . abc7news.com.
  3. Web site: ANDERSON . By MAE . Procter & Gamble's Tide Pods show long track of product development . 2024-07-24 . The Oklahoman . en-US.
  4. Web site: Laundry detergent pods remain a health hazard . Consumer Reports . March 2013 . 11 November 2014 . dead . 12 November 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141112041837/http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/03/laundry-detergent-pods-remain-a-health-hazard/index.htm .
  5. Web site: ANDERSON . By MAE . Procter & Gamble's Tide Pods show long track of product development . 2024-07-24 . The Oklahoman . en-US.
  6. Web site: Tide Pods: How a product became so appealing that it inadvertently turned into a public health risk abc7news.com . 2024-07-24 . abc7news.com.
  7. Web site: CDC warns laundry detergent pods pose health risk . . 2012-10-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140827195022/http://www.cbsnews.com:80/news/cdc-warns-laundry-detergent-pods-pose-health-risk . 2014-08-27 . live . Jaslow . Ryan . 15 November 2014.
  8. Web site: Tide Pods: How a product became so appealing that it inadvertently turned into a public health risk abc7news.com . 2024-07-24 . abc7news.com.
  9. Web site: UPDATE 2-Tide to change Pods lid over child safety concerns . . 2012-05-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151230111240/http://www.reuters.com/article/procter-tide-idUSL1E8GP9PI20120525 . 2015-12-30 . live . Wohl . Jessica . 11 November 2014.
  10. Web site: What Eating a Laundry Pod Can Do to You . . 2018-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180113025322/https://www.consumerreports.org/health/what-eating-a-laundry-pod-can-do-to-you/ . 2018-01-13 . dead . Interlandi . Jeneen . 19 January 2018.
  11. Web site: Please Don't Eat a Tide Pod, No Matter What the Memes Say . Kircher . Madison Malone . new york. December 28, 2017 . January 3, 2018.
  12. News: More children harmed by eating laundry pods, new report finds . 2016-04-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160426115142/http://www.today.com/health/never-seen-anything-more-children-harmed-ingesting-laundry-pods-t88036 . 2016-04-26 . live . TODAY.com . Carroll . Linda . 2018-01-12 . en.
  13. Web site: FACT CHECK: Is the 'Tide Pod Challenge' a Real Thing? . . 2018-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220618081633/https://www.snopes.com/tide-pod-challenge/ . 2022-06-18 . live . MacGuill . Dan . 19 January 2018.
  14. News: People have resorted to making edible Tide laundry pods to stop you from eating the real ones . 2018-01-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180110175501/https://www.avclub.com/people-have-resorted-to-making-edible-tide-laundry-pods-1821949064 . 2018-01-10 . live . . Colburn . Randall . 2018-01-12 . en-US.
  15. Web site: Rob Gronkowski tells everyone not to eat Tide Pods . . 2018-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180114021120/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ftw/2018/01/12/rob-gronkowski-tells-everyone-not-to-eat-tide-pods-what-the-heck-is-going-on-people/109410444/ . 2018-01-14 . live . Tsuji . Alysha . January 13, 2018.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tide Pods".

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