The fascination of children – and also many adults – with soap bubbles goes back centuries. Flemish paintings from the 17th century show children playing with tubes of clay and soapy water. In 1886 a London soap company launched a major advertising campaign featuring a painting of a child playing with a bubble. A Chicago company called Chemtoy began selling bubble liquid as early as the 1940s, and since then this pastime has become increasingly popular.
In Europe, one of the first manufacturers of soap bubble liquids was the German company Pustefix. After the Second World War, a doctoral chemist named Rolf Hein was experimenting with powdered detergent recipes. It was a time of hardship, and to support his family, he was looking for a cheap product to exchange for food with the farmers around Tübingen, near Stuttgart.
By chance, Rolf discovers a recipe that produces beautiful rainbow bubbles. He comes up with the idea of creating a ready-made fun activity for children. Soap bubbles at any time and without the need to prepare a soapy water solution first.
The introduction of the Deutschmark as a national currency boosted the economy. It was a perfect moment for Rolf to fulfill his vision: the production of instant soap bubble toys. This idea literally translates into the company’s name, which combines the German words “pusten” (blow) and “fix” (fast).
The soap bubble bear
The beloved yellow teddy bear of Rolf’s children becomes the symbol of the new brand, the soap bubble bear. The first Pustefix packaging is made of aluminium. It is labelled and closed with a natural cork cap. The blowing ring, on the other hand, consists of a spring wire spiral on a metal pin. The product is starting to catch on, but has two flaws: the cork closure, which is not completely airtight, and the soap bubble solution, which eventually causes the wire spiral to break down.
The problem is not completely solved until the late 1960s, when the company adopts the plastic container. A new cap screw mechanism was added for better sealing and the shape of the inner blowing ring was slightly changed. What Rolf Hein insists on maintaining is the familiar shape of the bottle and the teddy bear figure.
Sales soar and export is boosted. In addition to growth in neighbouring European countries, it is particularly successful in the USA and Japan. At the same time, the company expands its product range.
In addition to the original tube-shaped bubble toy, a whole range of completely new and different games is created. For example, the soap bubble machine, the soap bubble hoop or the bubble gun.
Over the years, the soap bubble toy of the brand Pustefix has become a classic among children not only in Germany, but all over the world, while keeping the original design and maintaining a vintage aesthetic.
