Monday, August 8, 2022

ABC Mall used to be in the soap business!

Source: Lebanon_dekkene

Ah isn't that refreshing! (Har har!)

We all know ABC or what is known today as a mall with several branches which features several (international and local) brands but also a big ABC shop as well (which itself represents brands distinct from those outside of it yet within its premises), but which does not have its own ABC branded products.

Well that same ABC which had a major store in Bab Idriss - the store still exists but is small compared to its flagships in Dbayeh, Achrafieh and Verdun - used to be in the soap-making or at least soap-selling business. The soap in question is the "saboun baladi" otherwise known as "saboun Naboulsi" because it was made in Nablus in Palestine (or simply "Naboulsi" in Egypt and other countries) which is commonly known as "traditional soap". However to differentiate each brand, the soap had to be stamped for the logo to identify the end product.

For this, a special machine (basically a wooden stick with the logo on top of it in "reverse") had to be used. Credit goes for Lebanon_dekkene on Instagram for finding the stamping machine which is now missing the letter "B" from the ABC logo but which immediately tells you which brand it was anyhow.

ABC used that logo for so many years before rebranding (circa 2003-4). Which is a pity if you ask me.

Here is the old ABC logo which I took from an old advertising of theirs.


As a small final note, since traditional soap is made essentially out of oils, I use it instead of shampoo as it eliminates dandruff (oils have this capacity to nourish the scalp!).