Kleenex
- This article is about the Kleenex brand. For information about the band of the same name, see Kleenex (band).
Kleenex is a brand name of facial tissue paper and a registered trademark of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Because of the success of this brand, it has become a genericized trademark in American English and many people in Northern America today refer to any tissue as a "Kleenex". However, Kleenex remains a trademark legally referring only to the product of Kimberly-Clark.
The material from which Kleenex is made was originally called "Cellucotton," and was designed by Kimberly-Clark during World War I. It came to be used in gas mask filters during the war, as a replacement for cotton, which was in high demand for use as a surgical dressing.
Kimberly-Clark created the first facial tissue in 1924, and later introduced paper towels, and paper napkins. These facial tissues were originally marketed as a cleaning tissue for such usages as removing cold cream. Later they were marketed as a disposable paper tissue. In the 1930s, the Kimberly-Clark Corporation received a large number of letters from customers suggesting its use for colds and hay fever. Kleenex were first advertised for use as a handkerchief replacement in 1926; this was to become the product's dominant use. Early advertising recommended using disposable Kleenex instead of a handkerchief with the slogan "Don't Carry A Cold In Your Pocket".
Kleenex is now manufactured in 19 countries, and sold in 150 countries.
Greenpeace launched a campaign against Kleenex who they say is cutting down boreal forests. During the week of 28th February to 8th March 2005, Greenpeace forest defenders headed out to 5 different cities in Southern Ontario to drum up support for the Kimberly-Clark/Kleercut campaign, raise awareness of ancient forest destruction and to target Kleenex brand tissue products in grocery stores.