Erdal
Erdal is a brand name for shoe care products. Along with Frosch, it is the best-known brand of the Mainz-based company Werner & Mertz , which, in addition to its main plant in Mainz , operates a plant in Hallein, Austria, and several agencies across Europe (Spain, Belgium, France, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia). Erdal products are available in Central Europe as well as in the Balkans, Russia, Turkey and even in some overseas countries such as Japan and various African countries.
history
The roots of the Erdal brand go back to the 18th century. Wolfgang Franz Xaver Werner, full-time bell ringer of the St. Quintin Church in Mainz, made candles and wax sticks for church use. An activity that should develop and become more professional in the course of the following generations. In 1837 Adam Lorenz Werner founded a wax drawing shop in Mainzer Langgasse, which in turn was continued by his descendants. In 1887 Georg Mertz became a partner in the company "Gebrüder Werner", which was to be called "Werner & Mertz" from then on. The growth of the up-and-coming company was limited by the increasing electrification at the end of the 19th century, and Werner & Mertz had to look for new markets. The company chronicle writes about this:
“Because of his travel activities, Friedrich Werner [...] was traveling throughout the entire German Reich. He brought back an idea from one of these trips, which he announced in Mainz dialect with the following sentence: 'Well, Adam ( his brother ), how about if I aach Stiwwelwix do deede?' "The result: The word mark Erdal was created on September 28, 1901 under the number 50 848 at the patent office in Berlin for the new shoe polish in the distinctive metal box.
The frog was not shown in the first cans and only came onto the can later. In 1903 the logo (green frog) was printed on the can. Over the years, the frog's color and appearance changed. In the years 1903 to 1920, another unmistakable trademark was introduced on the can, the rocker arm with which the can can be opened easily and without effort.
Erdaldose from 1903-1918
Rocker arm opening mechanism Erdaldose from 1903–1918
The word Erdal comes from the Mainz pronunciation of the word Erthal (Isch go near de Erdal (= Erthal) create), as the company was based in the early years on Erthalstrasse in Mainz Neustadt, named after Friedrich Karl Joseph von Erthal .
Logo: Erdalfrosch
Two years later, the Erdal logo was created, which today is one of the most famous brand logos of all: The Frog King . The following considerations played a decisive role:
- Its skin protects the frog from moisture - just like Erdal protects shoes.
- If shoes could see, they would see the world from a frog's perspective.
- The crown turns the frog into the frog prince. When Erdal was founded, people believed in the sales-promoting effect of noble attributes. The first Erdal cans also bore the seal of quality “For private use at royal courts”.
At first, the frog was shown relatively true to life and in green. During the First World War, due to the scarcity of raw materials, Erdal was forced to deliver inferior quality replacement goods. After the war, Erdal decided what would be called a relaunch today: The frog turned red, and an inscription referred to the restored quality of the product “Quality as before August 1914”. In 1962 the frog experienced another change: the facial features became friendlier, the red a little lighter. In 1971, the frog was finally born, as it still adorns Erdal products today: with a greatly simplified shape and a few fewer points in the crown. In the 1970s and 80s, the brand name was also expanded to Erdal REX . In addition, some bicycle care products were also called REX .
Common frog since 1971
The frog tower is one of the oldest advertising structures of this type in Europe and is an industrial monument.
In 2001 the Erdal brand celebrated its 100th anniversary with an anniversary exhibition and a twelve meter high and 400 kg heavy Erdal cold air frog that was placed on the warehouse building.
Products
Erdal offers a range of products for cleaning, maintaining and impregnating shoes and other leather products (leather surfaces). Their main advantage should be their easy handling and long-lasting effects.
- Erdal Intensive: Erdal Intensive Deep Care Cream
- Shine: care shine, 123 shine
- Care: Schusters shoe care, shoe polish (can), fine shoe polish (tube), 1-2-3 care cream (jar)
- Impregnation: Duration of the impregnation spray
- further leather care products: leather fat, leather care lotion
- Other cleaning agents: scouring milk, detergent
In the 1970s, a shoe care product for on the go was called Erdal-Frog and was advertised as "Erdal-Frog - on the journey".
literature
- Wolfgang Heck; Werner & Mertz (Ed.): 100 years of Erdal, 1901–2001, The whole world of shoe care, 100 years of brand quality under the sign of the frog . Mainz July 2001.
- Götz Goebel: Mr. Schneider's shoe polish . Documentation for the SWR television series Patents & Talents , 30 minutes, first broadcast: May 11, 2008 on SWR television .
- Jörg Kirchbaum: German standards . Cologne 1994.
- Norbert Lux: Superbrands 2007 . Graefelfing 2007.
- Joachim Keller u. Werner Lippert: Advertising figures - creatures of the world of goods . Berlin 1991.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Erdal history. Retrieved January 2, 2016 .