Burma Shave

    Article

    A brand of shaving cream that was popular in the U.S. from the 1920s to the early 1960s. The product was one of the first brushless shaving creams to enter the market, and it became a cultural icon after a long advertising campaign in which signs erected along highways created a series of humorous rhymes designed to capture the driver's attention. For example, in the following verse, each line was posted on a separate sign, leading to the final sign carrying the brand name:

    Within this vale
    of toil
    and sin
    your head grows bald
    but not your chin
    Burma Shave

    The innovative advertising technique became known as "burmashaving" and is still imitated still today in various marketing and political campaigns.

    Photo Credit

     
    "Burma Shave, 1960s, February 2, 2006" by Roadsidepictures is licensed under CC BY-SA.

    Published Works
    Term Type
    Manuscript Occurrences
    References

     
    Legends of America
    N.d. Legendary Route 66: Where are the Burma Shave Signs? http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66burmashave.html, accessed January 7, 2015.