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Hai Karate
Hai Karate
Hai Karate
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Hai Karate fragrance

Hai Karate was a budget aftershave and cologne for men that was sold in the United States and the United Kingdom from the 1960s to the 1980s. It was reintroduced in the U.K., under official licence, in late 2014 and was reintroduced again in 2021.

History

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The fragrance was originally developed by the Leeming division of Pfizer and launched in 1967 with the catchphrase "Be careful how you use it."[1] Hai Karate was priced higher than Old Spice, Aqua Velva, and Mennen Skin Bracer, but lower than Jade East and English Leather.[2] Other fragrances were soon introduced named Oriental Lime and Oriental Spice. Hai Karate was reintroduced in the UK in 2014 by Healthpoint Ltd, following the brand's original formulation but using a different bottle packaging. Reintroduced to UK and EU by Beauty Clear in 2021.

Marketing

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Hai Karate was known for its humorous television[3] and magazine ads, which included self-defense instructions to help wearers "fend off women",[4] The brand's marketing plan was developed at the advertising firm of McCaffrey & McCall by George Newall, who gained fame as the co-producer of, as well as writing a few songs for Schoolhouse Rock![5][6][7] The advertisements were considered humorous as they played to a "male fantasy of a world where women find them irresistible."[8] From 1969 to 1976, Bond girl Valerie Leon played the woman driven wild by a man wearing Hai Karate aftershave in a highly successful series of British commercials for the product.[9] Leon parodied her Hai Karate ad campaign role in The Goodies episode "It Might as Well Be String" by attacking Tim Brooke-Taylor.

References

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Further reading

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Hai Karate

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from Grokipedia
Hai Karate is a men's and launched in 1967 by Leeming, a division of the pharmaceutical company , featuring a citrus-aromatic fragrance with notes of bergamot, lavender, , , , , , , cedar, heliotrope, tonka bean, vetiver, , , and . The product line included variants such as Regular, Oriental Lime, Oriental Spice, and Iced Hai, along with complementary items like talcum powder, , soap-on-a-rope, and , marketed as an affordable grooming essential that playfully promised overwhelming appeal to women. The brand's defining feature was its satirical advertising campaigns, which aired in the United States and from the late 1960s through the 1970s, portraying wearers as hapless men fending off aggressive female admirers with improvised moves due to the scent's supposed potency, accompanied by the "Be careful how you use it." These ads, often featuring actors like in the UK version, incorporated tropes to evoke an exotic "Oriental" allure, reflecting mid-20th-century Western stereotypes of Asian culture amid the rising popularity of in popular media. Packaging included humorous instruction booklets, and promotional materials like a 1977 flexidisc record titled "Sounds of Self Defense" further amplified the cheeky, theme, contributing to peak annual sales exceeding $200 million. By the 1980s, Hai Karate faded from prominence as its approach lost appeal with changing times, leading to discontinuation in major markets. The was later acquired by entities including Miners International in for cologne and Hanson Trading in for . This resulted in revivals in the UK in 2014 and 2021 under licensee Beauty Clear, which preserved the original formulation while retaining the brand's cult status in retro culture; as of November 2025, the product remains available.

Product Description

Formulation and Ingredients

Hai Karate is formulated as an alcohol-based splash , primarily consisting of as the base solvent, water, synthetic fragrance oils, and preservatives to ensure stability and affordability in production. This composition reflects the era's standard approach to budget men's grooming products, emphasizing simplicity over added functional elements like deodorizing agents or moisturizers. The product line included variants such as Regular, Oriental Lime, and Oriental Spice. The fragrance profile [of the Regular variant] is a classic , characterized by a soapy, musky scent that blends fresh top notes of bergamot, , lavender, , and aniseed with spicy and floral heart notes including , , carnation, , cedarwood, and heliotrope, anchored by a warm oriental base of oakmoss, , bean, , and musk. These synthetic blends, common in mass-market fragrances, provided a clean, invigorating aroma without the complexity or cost of natural essential oils used in luxury competitors like . The overall scent evokes an exotic, martial arts-inspired freshness, aligning with the product's thematic branding. Designed for post-shave application, Hai Karate soothes minor razor burn through its alcohol content while delivering a lingering fresh scent, targeting young men entering the grooming market in the late and 1970s. Launched in 1967 by the Leeming division of , its economical formulation prioritized accessibility over premium features, positioning it as an entry-level option in the category.

Packaging and Accessories

Hai Karate was typically packaged in a clear, round-shouldered , available in standard sizes of 4 ounces and 8 ounces, designed for easy grip with an indentation on the rear for use after . The bottle featured a label inspired by , prominently displaying the product name in stylized script alongside bold red and white colors, including a central red sun motif reminiscent of the Japanese and subtle karate imagery to evoke a theme. A key accessory included with each bottle was a small illustrated booklet providing humorous, cartoonish instructions on techniques against amorous women, titled along the lines of "Defend Yourself From Women," featuring step-by-step depictions of moves to "fend off" advances supposedly triggered by the scent. Printed on inexpensive , the booklet reinforced the product's playful, macho branding through exaggerated scenarios and low-cost illustrations. Over its production run in the 1960s and 1970s, the packaging saw minor evolutions, such as brighter red-and-white labels in the mid-1970s to enhance visual appeal, while maintaining the core humorous theme and no significant functional alterations to the bottle or accessories. The aftershave was distributed widely through everyday retail channels like drugstores and supermarkets, often bundled in holiday gift sets with complementary items such as matching talcum powder to capitalize on seasonal gifting.

History

Development and Launch

Hai Karate was developed in the mid-1960s by Leeming, a division of the pharmaceutical giant , as an affordable aftershave targeted at the burgeoning market for men's grooming products. The fragrance was formulated by master perfumer Michael Pickthall, who crafted its distinctive oriental scent profile to appeal to a youthful demographic amid the era's rising fascination with . This development coincided with a mini-craze in the United States, ignited by popular media such as the 1966 television series The Green Hornet, which featured as the sidekick Kato and introduced American audiences to dynamic karate action. The product's name, a playful pun on "hi-ya karate," was chosen to capitalize on this cultural trend, positioning Hai Karate as a fun, exotic alternative in a competitive dominated by more serious brands like Brut, which had launched in 1964. Pfizer's marketing team differentiated the through its novelty theme, emphasizing humor and instructions included with each bottle to the allure of traditional colognes. Priced as a option suitable for teenagers and young adults, it was designed for accessibility, particularly as an impulse or gift item during the holiday season. Hai Karate made its national debut in the United States in 1967, with initial distribution emphasizing affordability to capture entry-level consumers in the men's fragrance segment. Early efforts focused on building awareness through its unique branding, which helped it stand out against established competitors by leaning into the lighthearted, karate-inspired rather than conventional sophistication. This launch strategy laid the groundwork for its quick rise, though it faced the challenge of proving longevity in a market favoring premium scents.

Production Timeline and Discontinuation

Hai Karate was produced by the Leeming Division of , following the company's acquisition of Thomas Leeming & Co. in 1961. The product entered full-scale manufacturing in 1967, with variants such as Hai Karate Musk, Oriental Lime, and Oriental Spice introduced shortly thereafter to capitalize on growing demand. Production expanded to meet rising in the market and extended to the by the late , aligning with the broader cultural enthusiasm for during that era. The marked the peak of Hai Karate's popularity, driven by widespread availability in drugstores and supermarkets, where it became a staple fragrance. Annual sales reached an estimated $200 million at their height, reflecting millions of units sold amid the era's novelty-driven consumer trends. Pfizer's Leeming Division ramped up output to sustain this boom, maintaining steady production through the decade under the same ownership structure. By the early , Hai Karate was phased out as consumer preferences shifted toward more sophisticated designer fragrances like those from and , diminishing the appeal of its lighthearted, mass-market positioning. The original formula ceased production in the early , with the brand seeing no significant continuation under . 's consumer products division was sold to in , after which ownership of the Hai Karate passed to smaller entities, including Miners International in for and Hanson Trading in for aftershave.

Marketing and Advertising

Campaigns and Media

Hai Karate's advertising campaigns were characterized by their low-key, parodic humor, leveraging the and martial arts fad to portray the aftershave as irresistibly potent. Television commercials, which began airing shortly after the product's launch, typically showed a hapless man liberally applying the scent before being aggressively pursued by women, forcing him to deploy clumsy for . These spots, produced by the McCaffrey & McCall for Pfizer's Leeming Division, emphasized a campy visual style with exaggerated , often featuring a bespectacled as the . In the United States, the ads starred actor Bob Wall, known from films like , who demonstrated the "self-defense" maneuvers in increasingly absurd scenarios that satirized macho stereotypes. The campaigns ran throughout the late 1960s and , contributing to peak annual sales exceeding $200 million. Print advertisements mirrored this theme in , using illustrations of chaotic chases and defensive poses to reinforce the product's supposed magnetic pull on women. UK versions of the TV campaigns, aired during the same period, adopted a similar format but featured British actress —recognized from films and appearances—as the pursuing female lead, adding a layer of glamorous allure to the comedic pursuits. These advertisements integrated taglines directly into the narrative voiceover, heightening the slapstick tone while complying with contemporary broadcast standards. Over time, the spots evolved toward more outlandish depictions of violence and pursuit in the early 1970s, amplifying the to sustain audience engagement amid shifting cultural norms around portrayals in media.

Taglines and Promotional Strategies

Hai Karate's marketing relied heavily on humorous, exaggerated taglines that played on the product's supposed irresistible allure, positioning it as a in the competitive market of the and . The primary , "Be careful how you use it," warned consumers of the fictional potency that could attract unwanted female attention, requiring defensive measures. This was complemented by messaging emphasizing the scent's power, such as "New Hai Karate is so powerful it drives women right out of their minds," directly tying into the brand's theme. These taglines subverted traditional romantic tropes in men's grooming by introducing irony and absurdity, appealing to a younger, self-deprecating demographic through rather than sophistication. A key promotional strategy involved bundling each bottle with a complimentary self-defense instruction booklet, enhancing perceived value and reinforcing the taglines' narrative. This leaflet provided basic tips, humorously suggesting wearers needed protection from the product's effects on women, which differentiated Hai Karate from standard aftershaves and boosted its novelty appeal. The tactic not only encouraged impulse buys by adding a tangible, entertaining extra but also amplified word-of-mouth sharing among consumers. Promotions further capitalized on seasonal opportunities, particularly holiday campaigns that framed Hai Karate as an affordable, humorous option, such as a stocking stuffer for the season starting from its 1967 launch. These efforts positioned the product as lighthearted banter fodder, leveraging the taglines' wit to drive gifting sales during peak retail periods. While specific sales metrics are scarce, the slogans' ironic subversion of norms contributed to the brand's status and sustained popularity through the .

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Hai Karate's distinctive advertising, featuring hapless men using moves to fend off overly amorous women, permeated and as an emblem of kitschy amid the era's boom. The campaign's blend of humor and gender stereotypes influenced comedic tropes in television and , where exaggerated male appeal often led to chaotic pursuits, mirroring the product's "Be careful how you use it." In the sitcom (1982–1993), Hai Karate is directly referenced in the season 11 episode "The Magnificent Six" (1992), when protagonist reveals his aftershave routine as "a special blend: , Hai Karate, and something that takes spots out," poking fun at the lingering scent and outdated associated with the brand. The mention underscores the product's cultural staying power into the early 1990s, evoking for grooming fads. Similarly, in (set in 1980 but aired in 1999–2000), the season 1 episode "Girlfriends and Boyfriends" features teenager Bill Haverchuck pondering, "Should I wear Hai Karate or ?" before a school dance, capturing the brand's role in adolescent experiments with cologne during the tail end of its popularity. The "aggressive women" motif from Hai Karate ads echoed in 1980s comedies, such as (1984), where socially awkward protagonists employ gadgets and charm to attract dates, satirizing the same over-the-top allure without naming the product but drawing from its cultural shorthand for instant romantic peril. This trope contributed to the era's broader of karate-inspired media, blending with gender humor popularized by the aftershave's campaigns. In music, Hai Karate surfaced as a punchline in country tracks reflecting 1970s stereotypes. Diamond Rio's "Bubba Hyde" (released February 1995 on their album Love a Little Stronger) describes a mild-mannered man slapping on "his after shave" to adopt a tough persona, complete with an Elvis jacket and zebra boots, lampooning the product's promise of transformative swagger. Though released just after the brand's discontinuation, the song tapped into nostalgia compilations that frequently highlighted Hai Karate as a quintessential example of the decade's fusion of mania and sexist advertising tropes.

Revivals and Modern Perceptions

In 1995, Miners International acquired the rights to Hai Karate and announced plans for a relaunch, updating the packaging with a new design while introducing a fresh fragrance formulation aimed at tapping into . The initiative included potential featuring modernized versions of the original self-defense-themed , though details on actual market rollout remain limited. Subsequent revivals occurred in the 2010s, with Healthpoint Ltd relaunching the brand in the UK in 2014–2015 under official license, focusing on the original Oriental Lime scent and targeting retro enthusiasts through updated yet faithful packaging. By 2021, another reintroduction followed, emphasizing the product's classic appeal and availability via e-commerce platforms limited primarily to Europe. Throughout the 2000s and 2020s, Hai Karate has seen sporadic availability through nostalgia-focused retailers such as Amazon and eBay, where vintage and reformulated bottles are sold to collectors, often bundled with original advertising materials for added historical context. No widespread collector's editions with DVD extras were produced in the 2010s, but the product's cult status has sustained demand for unopened 1970s-era stock among fragrance enthusiasts. In contemporary culture, Hai Karate is often perceived as a campy relic of advertising excess, critiqued in media for embodying toxic through its portrayal of women as uncontrollably desirous and men as needing to "defend" against them. Analyses highlight the ads' orientalist undertones and sexist humor, positioning the brand as a of outdated norms that clash with modern sensibilities, though some defend it as satirical. Occasional references appear in contexts, but no notable endorsements in podcasts have been documented. As of 2025, Hai Karate remains in limited production and active distribution through specialized sites, confined to the and , with no global manufacturing revival. Its legacy persists in discussions of vintage ads, where the 1970s campaigns are frequently shared as examples of era-specific controversies, occasionally linked to broader conversations on gender dynamics in post-#MeToo, though without dedicated viral memes.

References

  1. https://www.fragrantica.com/news/Hai-Karate-The-Empty-Hand-13135.html
  2. https://www.brandlandusa.com/2008/10/27/pfizer-hai-karate-to-viagra/
  3. https://doi.org/10.18573/jomec.203
  4. https://www.discogs.com/release/13808181-Unknown-Artist-Sounds-Of-Self-Defense
  5. https://perfumecharm.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/hai-karate-aftershave-history-review/
  6. https://desperate-living.com/2024/10/26/be-careful-how-you-use-it-the-story-of-hai-karate/
  7. https://haikarateaftershave.com/
  8. https://www.directcosmetics.com/hai-karate-after-shave-lotion-original-100ml-p3050
  9. https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Pfizer/Hai-Karate-46459.html
  10. https://basenotes.com/fragrances/hai-karate.26120738
  11. https://surrendertochance.com/retro-leeming-hai-karate-cologne/
  12. https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Leeming_Division_Pfizer/Hai_Karate_Cologne
  13. https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/134173/1/jomec_0_15_2020_jomec.203.pdf
  14. https://www.ebay.com/itm/197703779231
  15. https://www.ebay.com/itm/335942084398
  16. https://archive.org/stream/Playboy121967/Playboy%252012%25201967_djvu.txt
  17. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226313691120
  18. https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/757625/hai-karate-aftershave-sale-cheap-bottle-favourite
  19. https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/television/how-the-martial-arts-revolution-kickstarted-on-television-1.67801
  20. https://www.perfumeintelligence.co.uk/library/perfume/l/l10/l10p6.htm
  21. https://www.nytimes.com/1961/11/11/archives/merger-agreement-set-leeming-and-pacquin-are-acquired-by-pfizer.html
  22. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/magazine/martial-lore.html
  23. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/meandmymoney/article-15226245/The-70s-good-says-VALERIE-LEON.html
  24. https://drugstorenews.com/news/hai-karate-be-careful-how-you-use-it
  25. https://envisioning92.rssing.com/chan-6072117/all_p18.html
  26. https://jambands.com/news/2008/12/18/hai-karate-the-day-after-christmas/
  27. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343138426_Hai_Karate_and_Kung_Fuey_Early_Martial_Arts_Tropes_in_British_Advertising
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0539904/characters/nm0001101/
  29. https://subslikescript.com/series/Freaks_and_Geeks-193676/season-1/episode-8-Girlfriends_and_Boyfriends
  30. https://www.marketingweek.com/hai-karate-aftershave-to-make-a-comeback/
  31. https://www.amazon.com/hai-karate-cologne-men/s?k=hai%2Bkarate%2Bcologne%2Bfor%2Bmen
  32. https://www.ebay.com/b/Hai-Karate/29585/bn_7023439715
  33. https://www.quora.com/What-old-ads-were-so-controversial-that-we-could-never-see-them-today
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