'Internet' 'website' and 'cellphone' are all new English words we now use every day, thanks to science and technology. But advertising has also done its bit to shape our language....
Some of the best known words and phrases in use today can be traced directly back to advertising campaigns. The phrase 'always a bridesmaid, never a bride,' was actually created as part of a 1930's ad campaign for Listerine mouthwash.
Listerine can also layclaim to the origins of the world 'halitosis.' Despite its Latin sounding heritage, halitosis is actually a combination of the Latin halitus, meaning 'breath' and the Greek ending 'osis' often used to describe a medical condition, eg. 'cirrhosis of the liver'.
The term 'halitosis' was introduced by Listerine in 1921. But bad breath is not a modern affliction, it has been causing embarrassment for thousands of years.
Records mentioning bad breath have been discovered more than 3,000 years ago, all the way back in 1550BC. Back then exactly what caused bad breath was not known, but a mouthwash of wine and herbs was one recommended way of solving the problem.
Today it is known that bacteria are the major cause of bad breath. Microbiologists estimate that there are around 400 different types of bacteria living in the mouth, with the total population reaching into the hundreds of millions.
A new way to combat the causes of bad breath is the new Listerine PocketPaks. Made out of a thin starch based film the size of a stamp, the PocketPak strips dissolve instantly on the tongue.
They have been an instant hit overseas, used by stars such as Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock; and named one of Time magazines' best inventions of 2002.
To play an awesome arcade like game where you throw oral strips to kill bacteria, click here.
To see if you can correctly answer a fun quiz about oral hygiene, click here.
To read more about the original Listerine ad that gave us the famous quote about bridesmaids, click here.
Last updated: 30/04/2008
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'Internet' 'website' and 'cellphone' are all new English words we now use every day, thanks to science and technology. But advertising has also done its bit to shape our language....
The term 'halitosis' was introduced by Listerine in 1921. But bad breath is not a modern affliction, it has been causing embarrassment for thousands of years. 
To play an awesome arcade like game where you throw oral strips to kill bacteria,