(NAPSA)—Askin care remedy known and trusted by generations first got its start in the dustylittle town of Plantersville, Texas. A Rising Star THEN NOW Drugstore owner Dr. Adolf Gottlieb originally created Blue Star Ointment for farmers and ranchers for their ailments and the ailmentsof their animals. No one knows whatthesignificance of the name is but some speculate that it may have had something to do with living in the Lone Star State. Good for Man and Beast During the Great Depression, a traveling salesman, Jim Bourland, overheard a rancher raving about a product that was producing amazing results for him, his ranch hands and his animals. Bourland added Blue Star Ointment to his sales kit and his business skyrocketed. As early as 1932, the Texas salesman started running ads in the Houston newspapers, offering a money-back guarantee if the product didn’t stop an itch in five minutes. All in the Family In the early ’60s, Robert Whitehead bought the formula and rights for $200. Son of a cattle broker, Whitehead used skills he learned from his father to grow a little-known local brand into a national household name. Whitehead developed a powerful, effective and economical way to market Blue Star Ointment One anti-itch product has gone from a dusty Texas town to drug and grocery stores and mass merchandisers acrossthe country. through the use of 10-second television spots crammed with copy. He was soon able to get the ointment in most major drugstore chains by advertising in the area where each chain dominated. Today Blue Star commercials can be seen nationwide. Staying Power According to health and beauty market experts, the ointmentis on the “must-have”list of products that a drugstore must always have on the shelf. It is used to treat ringworm, jock itch, psoriasis, athelte’s foot, and scalp itch. “Tt’s quite a record for a familyowned companylocated in Laredo, Texas,” said Gail Whitehead, Blue Star Ointment vice president. Now ranked amongthe top 10 anti-itch products in America, the ointmentis sold in all 50 states and in several foreign countries. For more information, call the Blue Star Ointment Hotline at 1-800469-2249.
