The Sebir That Bred Roll-On Deodorant
In the late 1940s, an American marketing executive Edward Gelsthorpe wanted to develop a new way of applying underarm deodorant. He was drawn to study the newly invented ballpoint pen that 'rolled' ink onto paper
Goal
Improve the applicability of underarm deodorant
Problem
Non-liquid underarm deodorant was not easy to apply
Sebir
The applicability of underarm deodorant was transformed through adding a revolving ball to a deodorant dispenser The deodorant was then easily applied because the roll-on ball mechanism facilitated its dispersal under the arm
Historic Impact
Being alert to everyday human personal problems can be the trigger for an innovative solution. Due to the insight of Edward Gelsthorpe, the roll-on deodorant was born
Breeding Comment
Generalizing from a specific observation or experience and then specializing from there to a specific application in a different setting is the secret behind idea breeding. Edward Gelsthorpe associated more broadly from the capability of a ballpoint pen to roll ink onto a surface and, in so doing, was able to breed a dispenser containing a ball that had the capability to roll deodorant onto human skin