Origins

The history of Dial traces back to the American meatpacking firm Armour and Company, which had been producing soap since the late 19th century using fats and tallow from its meat-processing operations.2

In 1948, Dial was launched in Chicago. Henkel’s historical records indicate that it was introduced by the Gold Seal Company, which was later acquired by Armour and eventually became part of Henkel’s brand portfolio. Dial was marketed as the first antibacterial deodorant soap in the United States, with its name evoking the concept of “round-the-clock” odour protection.

The product received a national rollout in 1949 and quickly established itself as a leading deodorant soap brand.3

Rise to popularity

Dial’s early success was driven not only by the product itself but also by aggressive advertising. Throughout the 1950s and subsequent decades, the brand became synonymous with fighting body odour and delivering a sense of freshness.

Its most famous advertising slogan was:

“Aren’t you glad you use Dial? Don’t you wish everybody did?”

Used for decades, this tagline became one of the most recognisable phrases in American soap advertising.

Dial eventually became the leading deodorant soap brand in the United States. Its commercial success encouraged the expansion of the brand beyond its original bar soap format.

The corporate ownership of Dial is complex, as the Dial brand and The Dial Corporation are distinct entities.

Armour

Dial originally belonged to Armour and Company. Due to the brand’s growing popularity, Armour organised its consumer products activities under Armour-Dial, Inc. in 1967.4

Greyhound

In 1970, the Greyhound Corporation acquired Armour and Company. The consumer products business, including Dial, continued to operate under the Armour-Dial name.

Greyhound later reorganised its business interests. In 1985, it merged Armour-Dial with the consumer products business acquired from Purex Industries to form The Dial Corporation.5

Independent Dial Corporation

In the mid-1990s, the Dial consumer products business was separated from the former Greyhound organisation. The consumer business became an independent entity, The Dial Corporation, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.6

During this period, the company owned or acquired various consumer brands beyond Dial soap, reflecting the broader scope of “The Dial Corporation” as a diversified company rather than solely a soap manufacturer.

Acquisition by Henkel

A significant turning point occurred in 2004 when Germany’s Henkel acquired The Dial Corporation. Henkel stated that the acquisition significantly strengthened its consumer products portfolio in North America.

This transaction integrated Dial into Henkel’s international portfolio, where it remains an established consumer brand today.7

Today, Dial is primarily associated with personal cleansing products.

Bar soap

Dial’s traditional product is its bar soap, the category in which the brand established its reputation. Classic Dial soaps were particularly noted for their deodorant and antibacterial properties.

Body wash

Body wash has become a key component of the modern Dial portfolio. The brand currently offers a range of body washes designed around cleansing efficacy, fragrance, skin feel, and varying consumer preferences.

In 2023, Dial marked its 75th anniversary with an updated body wash collection featuring reformulated products and packaging changes.13

Hand soap

Dial also manufactures liquid hand soaps. According to Henkel and Dial, the brand introduced what it describes as the first antibacterial liquid hand soap in 1988, marking another significant milestone in its product history.

Product positioning

The brand’s current positioning is broader than its original focus on deodorant soap. Dial describes its mission as providing deep cleansing that remains gentle on the skin, while continuing to emphasise hygiene and cleanliness.11

Antibacterial products are central to Dial’s historical identity.

The original Dial formula utilised hexachlorophene, an antimicrobial compound, to support its deodorant and antibacterial claims. Hexachlorophene was subsequently removed from ordinary consumer products following safety concerns and regulatory action in the early 1970s.8

Dial later adopted other antimicrobial ingredients. However, the regulatory environment surrounding antibacterial soaps changed substantially over time.

In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalised rules concerning certain antibacterial ingredients, including triclosan and triclocarban, in consumer antibacterial washes. This necessitated industry-wide changes, including the reformulation of products marketed as antibacterial.9

Consequently, modern Dial should not be viewed as identical to the antibacterial product of the mid-20th century; its formulations and regulatory positioning have evolved considerably.

Dial’s history includes several notable product milestones:

• 1948 — Dial bar soap: The brand launches in Chicago as an antibacterial/deodorant soap.10
• 1949 — National expansion: Dial expands beyond Chicago into the U.S. national market.11
• 1950s — Deodorant-soap leadership: Dial becomes a major, and eventually leading, deodorant soap brand in the United States.
• 1988 — Antibacterial liquid hand soap: Dial introduces what it describes as the first antibacterial liquid hand soap.
• 2004 — Henkel acquisition: Henkel acquires The Dial Corporation.12
• 2023 — 75th anniversary: Dial refreshes its body wash portfolio with new and improved formulas and packaging.13

Dial also promotes the historical claim that it was the first soap in space.14

Dial’s identity has historically centred on cleanliness, freshness, odour control, and hygiene.

The original brand differentiated itself from ordinary soap by presenting itself as a solution to bacteria associated with perspiration and body odour. This helped establish Dial as a functional, performance-oriented soap rather than merely a fragranced cleansing product.

Over time, its positioning broadened. Modern Dial combines its heritage in cleansing and hygiene with:

• Skin feel and gentleness
• Body-care fragrances
• Body washes
• Hand hygiene
• Family-oriented products
• Antibacterial products
• Sustainability and packaging initiatives

Henkel describes Dial’s current purpose as providing clean skin for consumers and families across North America.15

Dial became particularly recognisable through its advertising during the post-war American consumer boom. The slogan “Aren’t you glad you use Dial? Don’t you wish everybody did?” was used from the 1950s through the 1990s and became closely identified with the brand.

The combination of a distinctive golden bar, strong fragrance, deodorant positioning, and memorable advertising helped Dial transcend commodity status to become a recognisable American household brand.

Under Henkel, Dial has increasingly incorporated sustainability into its brand strategy. Henkel describes sustainability as part of its broader corporate approach, while Dial has highlighted changes such as packaging improvements and efforts to reduce environmental impact.15

Dial has also promoted initiatives supporting teachers and hygiene access, including a stated vision of providing soap to teachers in need.16

Today, Dial is a Henkel brand rather than an independent company.

It is important to distinguish between the two entities:

• Dial (brand) → owned by Henkel
• The Dial Corporation → the former American consumer products company acquired by Henkel in 2004

Following the acquisition, Henkel integrated Dial into its North American consumer products operations. Henkel’s North American history identifies the 2004 acquisition as a significant expansion of its consumer portfolio.12

Dial holds significance in the history of personal care for several reasons:

1. Early antibacterial positioning — It helped establish antibacterial/deodorant cleansing as a major consumer soap category in the United States.
2. Strong brand advertising — Its decades-long advertising campaign made Dial a recognisable American household name.
3. Product innovation — The brand expanded from traditional bar soap into liquid hand soap and body wash.
4. Longevity — Dial has remained active for more than 75 years.
5. Corporate evolution — Its history illustrates how a single consumer brand can pass through multiple corporate owners, from Armour to Greyhound/Dial and ultimately Henkel.
6. Cultural recognition — Its classic advertising slogan became part of American advertising history.

Dial started as a 1948 American deodorant/antibacterial bar soap and grew into a major personal care brand. It became famous for promising protection against body odour, developed a highly recognisable advertising identity, expanded into hand soap and body wash, and eventually became part of Henkel’s global consumer products portfolio through Henkel’s 2004 acquisition of The Dial Corporation.

Today, references to Dial generally denote the personal care brand selling bar soaps, body washes, and hand soaps, rather than the former standalone Dial Corporation.

1. Beyond the Brand: Dial
2. Dial® Soap | America’s Trusted Brand for Over 70 Years
3. Armour and Company
4. Dial (soap)
5. Henkel North American Consumer Goods
6. The Brand Known For Keeping Families Clean Evolves to Help Consumers ‘Dial Up’
7. The Dial Corporation | Encyclopedia.com
8. Beyond the Brand: Dial
9. Beyond the Brand: Dial®
10. Beyond the Brand: Dial®
11. Dial® Launches Clean + Gentle™, A New Line of Body Washes and Antibacterial Foaming Hand Washes
12. West Hazleton Facility to Drive Future Growth
13. The Dial Corp | Encyclopedia.com
14. Dial – Skin & Beauty Care – Henkel
15. The Dial Corp. — Company History
16. The Dial Corporation – vLex United States