Publicity: marketing through films and booklet

A correspondence file concerning the marketing of penicillin in the face of American competition.

Most of the file concerns the planning (including detailed film outline), production and distribution of, variously, one and/or three short films on penicillin, sponsored by ICI and TRC. Detailed statistics for number of viewings (in cinemas) and income received are included.

Dr F H Carr (The British Drug Houses Ltd) wrote (25 May, 1944) to Sidney Rogerson (ICI Ltd), with the draft text of a Penicillin booklet , a primary objective of which was "to emphasise again that Penicillin was a British discovery." The draft text is not included in the file, but it is, presumably, "A British Triumph: The Discovery and Development of Penicillin" (WF/TRC/01/01). Although clinical knowledge was still developing rapidly, to delay publication, Carr argued, was commercially damaging: "To wait ... would only mean leaving the field completely to American firms who, as you know, are already circulating booklets and pamphlets on Penicillin not only in the Americas but in other parts of the world such as the Empire, where we consider the British part in the Penicillin story should be known before the Americans by their propaganda have, by implication, encouraged the assumption that it is in America that Penicillin has been developed."

A lengthy related memorandum (15 June, 1944) from Dr Hartley (TRC Secretary), "Re Proposal for discussions with ICI on subjects related to Marketing of Penicillin" reveals that, in addition to countering in a global context the false impression that penicillin was American in origin, on the home front TRC was countering the potential impression that ICI alone was responsible for British mass production.

See also, "Informal Report of Meeting between IC(P) and TRC on Penicillin Publicity" (28 January, 1944).

The file includes the booklet "Penicillin: A brief history" [no date] published with photographic illustrations by ICI Ltd. This booklet is different from the joint publication "A British Triumph: The Discovery and Development of Penicillin" (WF/TRC/01/01). It is noted in the report (above) of the meeting of 28 January 1944 that "the TRC were glad to note that IC(P) were holding up the publication of their Penicillin pamphlet pending this meeting" - it is not clear, however, whether this pamphlet is one and the same as "Penicillin: A brief history" or a briefer publication.

1944-1947

1 file

WF/TRC/04/60.

Copyright assigned to the Wellcome Trust