Henkel recently announced it will mark the 50th anniversary of its Pritt glue stick this year. In 1969, the company reportedly revolutionized the market for consumer adhesives with a new category: the first-ever glue stick. The company has reportedly sold billions of glue sticks and has continuously expanded its product range under the brand.

In 1967, former Henkel engineer Wolfgang Dietrichs, Ph.D., saw a woman applying lipstick while traveling. The simple twist-up mechanism gave him a revolutionary idea: “Why not make an adhesive in the shape of a lipstick, that’s quick, clean and accurate?” After two years of development and testing, the company launched the first Pritt glue stick in 1969. According to Henkel, the product became a success worldwide, as well as a synonym for the glue stick category in many countries.

Over the decades, Henkel reportedly has continuously improved the quality and formulation of its glue sticks. In 2000, the company launched the first solvent-free Pritt generation, meeting modern demands for safety and sustainability.

In 2001, Pritt was awarded the exclusive seal of Space-Proof Quality. A rocket ferried a cargo of Pritt products to the International Space Station, where the glue sticks were successfully tested under extreme space conditions. In 2003, the company went even further and launched the product with 90% natural ingredients.

50 Years of Memories

Since its creation, according to Henkel, the Pritt glue stick has supported children’s development of motor and creative skills through glue crafting related activities in school and at home. Every year, the glue stick inspires children all over the world with its back-to-school campaigns and exciting themes featuring the Mr. Pritt character, supported by new products such as the first neon and glitter glue sticks. To celebrate the anniversary, this year’s back-to-school campaign will be focused on 50 years of magic moments and will include the introduction of a glow-in-the-dark version of the glue stick.

Henkel reportedly produces more than 100 million Pritt sticks in different colors and sizes per year. The complementary Pritt portfolio ranges from liquid all-purpose glues and glue pens to glue rollers and correction rollers.

“For the last 50 years, Pritt has enabled children to turn their creativity and imagination to reality through the magic of crafting,” says Xavier Martin, head of global marketing and digital for Henkel’s consumer adhesives business. “In 2019, we will celebrate all those magical moments Pritt has inspired ever since with our employees, consumers and customers through different activities. Therefore, we will lay the focus on our back-to-school campaign in summer and a special fundraising initiative for children.”  ASI