The word “halitosis” didn’t exist before 1922. Listerine put it there.

They took halitus — Latin for breath — added “osis” to make it sound clinical. Suddenly people had a condition, not just an embarrassment. Something that sounded serious enough to treat.

Sales grew 60x in six years. The condition was invented in January. By December, everyone had it.

The ads showed sad, lonely Edna — watching her friends marry while she stayed alone. Her personality was fine. Her breath, according to Listerine, was the problem. “Your closest friends won’t tell you.”

Listerine sold the silence around the problem. The mouthwash came second.

Full story Thursday 👇