Pull-Ups is a brand of disposable training pants made under the Huggies brand of baby products. The product was first introduced in 1989 and became popular with the phrase "I'm a big kid now!" which is the product's slogan. The training pants are marketed with two packages: boys' designs are blue and currently feature characters from the Disney Junior show The Lion Guard; girls' designs are pink with the Disney Junior show Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets characters.
Huggies Pull-Ups variations
Huggies Pull-Ups have been distributed in 3 different types which have been intact since 2006. (not counting the renaming of Wetness Liner.)
Learning Designs
Overwriting the original Huggies Pull-Ups in 2000, but on March 2nd, 2005, the original Huggies Pull-Ups are now known as Learning Designs. Learning Designs Pull-Ups have small pictures in the area that is most commonly urinated on, that are printed on certain ink that evaporates when exposed to urine. This makes it so that these icons fade when the wearer wets, discouraging him/her from urinating in the Pull-Up, and to use the toilet instead, and as an incentive for staying dry for long periods of time. All Pull-ups variations have this feature. On March 2nd, 2005, Learning Designs Pull-Ups also have a small star picture on the inside that is digested on, that is also printed on certain ink that evaporates when exposed to feces.
Wetness Liner
Wetness Liner Pull-Ups Training Pants were first distributed in 2005 as a competitor to the now defunct Pampers Feel 'N Learn. These Pull-Ups were much like Learning Designs Pull-Ups, except they added special liner to the Wetness Liner ones. This liner is placed on the inside of the Pull-up, where the wearer is most likely to wet, and is sensitive to urine. When the Wetness Liner is exposed to urine, it causes the wearer to feel uncomfortable, and learn that (s)he should not wet oneself and use the toilet instead. Wetness Liner Pull-Ups also have the Learning Designs, which also fade when the wearer wets the pull-up.
Cool-Alert name change
In 2006, the Wetness Liner Pull-Ups were replaced by Cool-Alert. This variation has since been intact since.
GoodNites
GoodNites are used to control bedwetting. In 2008, The Goodnites disposable underwear split up from the Pull Ups brand merging with the Huggies brand, Then in 2011, Goodnites split up from the Huggies brand and formed their own brand which is the same name as the product.
Night-Time
At the same time that Wetness Liner was renamed Cool Alert, Pull-Ups introduced Night Time Pull-Ups. The Night Time Pull-Ups were very much like a regular Pull-Ups pant, except it has more absorbency, and they have bedtime designs featuring Disney's Princess Rapunzel and Doc McStuffins characters for girls and Cars and Jake and the Never Land Pirates characters for boys. The Night Time Pull-Ups are not available in the 4T-5T size.
Potty Training
The main use for Pull-Ups Training Pants is as an aid for toilet training toddlers and to help them learn not to wet. Although up until 2000 Pull-Ups Training Pants were nothing more than diapers that go off and on like underwear, since 2000, there have been several changes to them. The first one was the addition of magic stars/flowers (now known as Learning Designs on March 2nd, 2005) on the inside only in 2005-2007 and front of the pant that fade when the wearer wets it as a way of discouraging wetting, and as a motivation to stay dry in time to make it to the potty, and if the wearer stays dry, the stars/flowers will stay on the Pull-Up. Next was the addition of Easy-Open sides. These made it so that the sides of the Pull-Up still go off and on like underwear, but enable parents to easily open the Pull-Up to check to see if the wearer soiled the Pull-Up, or to quickly change a messy Pull-Up. However many enjoy this feature, some parents have criticized this feature for causing the Pull-Up to rip too easily.
History
1989
- Huggies introduced Pull-Ups brand disposable training Pants
1991
- The first Pull-Ups commercial aired on television and its most famous slogan, "I'm a big kid now!" became its main slogan.
1992
- Single-sex Pull-Ups training pants were introduced with customized absorbency placed where boys and girls wet the most and also gender-specific prints, trucks for boys and pastel colored animals for girls.
1994
- GoodNites disposable underwear for older children were introduced.
- Pull-Ups added leak guards to handle wetness better than any other training pants.
1995
- A back label was added to the pants to tell the wearer which end was the back.
1996
- Realistic underwear designs were introduced, with a fly front style for boys and lace style for girls.
1997
- Disney character designs were introduced, featuring Mickey Mouse for boys and Minnie Mouse for girls.
'1999 Goodnight introduces xl size fitting kids well over 100lbs they are offered like all goodnights of this era in all white only.
2000
- Pull-Ups added on the front of the pants to tell whether or not the wearer is wet.
2003
- Disney Princesses and Toy Story designs were introduced for boys and girls respectively.
- The slogan that was used in the original late-1980s and early-1990s commercials, "I'm a big kid now", was recycled for the product's recent commercials.
2004
- Single-sex underwear was introduced with customized absorbency placed were boys and girls wet the most and also gender-specific prints.
2005
- Pull-ups introduced training pants with a Wetness Liner. These Pull-Ups are similar to the Learning Designs training pants, but contain a liner that makes the wearer feel when he or she is wet by having the liner have an unpleasant feel to it when it is wet.
2006
- Pull-Ups introduced training pants with extra absorbency for nighttime use, changed the Wetness Liner training pants to Cool-Alert, and Cars designs were introduced for boys.
2008
- GoodNites halts its connection with Pull-ups and is now linked to Huggies and Kimberly-Clark.
2009
- The infamous Potty Dance was put on airwaves. This was deemed appalling because of suggestive movement of pelvic areas, and has since been pulled and replaced with a non-offensive version.
2010
- Pull-Ups offered a phone call service accossiated with Disney. Mainly, as a reward for finishing potty training, the parent of the wearer could request a phone call in which the caller pretends to be a Disney Princess or Toy Story character. This was a limited time offer and is now a currently defunct service
- Pull-Ups dropped the Cars designs from their product and replaced it with Toy Story 3 designs that corresponded with the movie's release.
2011
- Pull-Ups dropped the Toy Story 3 designs from their product and replaced it with Cars 2 designs that corresponded with the movie's release.
- Goodnites halts its connection with Huggies but is still connected with Kimberly-Clark.
2012
- Minnie Mouse made a comeback on some of the girl's Pull-Ups
- The sides on the boy's Pull-Ups were recolored from blue to red.
2013
- The sides of the boys Pull-Ups were recolored back to blue.
- Monsters University designs were added for both boys and girls to correspond with the movie's release.
- The Disney Princess Ariel replaced Cinderella on the girls Pull-Ups with Learning Designs and Rapunzel replaced her on the girls Night*Time Pull-Ups.
- The Toy Story designs made a comeback on the boys Pull-Ups.
March 31, 2013
- Pull-Ups Cool Alert has been discontinued in the US.
2014
- Pull-Ups dropped the Monsters University, Minnie Mouse, and Toy Story designs and replaced them with Doc McStuffins designs for girls and Jake and the Never Land Pirates designs for boys.
- Pull-Ups Cool Alert are being continued again exclusively online at Amazon, Diapers.com, Drugstore.com, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target and Peapod.com
- Pull-Ups made their training pants more absorbent.
2015
- Pull-Ups introduced Sofia the First designs for girls.
- Mickey Mouse made a comeback on some of the boys' Pull-Ups.
- Minnie Mouse made another comeback on some of the girls' Pull-Ups.
- Mater also made a comeback on some of the boys' Night*Time Pull-Ups.
- Cinderella also made a comeback on some of the girls' Night*Time Pull-Ups.
- Cool Alert is available for retailers everywhere with its new name Cool & Learn.
- Pull-Ups removed the iconic "Big Kid" child photo from its packaging.
2016
- Pull-Ups introduced Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets designs for girls and Kion from The Lion Guard designs for boys.
- Night*Time Pull-Ups introduced Miles Callisto from Miles from Tomorrowland designs for boys.
- Belle made a comeback on some of the girls' Night*Time Pull-Ups.
Controversy
The Cool-Alert Pull-Ups had a controversial issue regarding that the wearer likely will either get a rash or not feel the cooling effect when (s)he wets the pant. The 2009 Potty Dance commercial had aggravated parents due to its suggestive dancing, mainly, when the toddlers put their hands on their genitalia and make circular motions with their hips. This has been pulled from airwaves and replaced with a more appropriate version by Ralph's World, which replaces the offensive movements with sidesteps.
Competition
Ever since Huggies Pull-Ups became popular, several other brands tried to copy their product. The first competitor besides store brand training pants were Pampers Trainers made from 1993 until 1995. In 2002, Pampers introduced "Easy Ups" training pants. The Pampers brand also had training pants with a wetness liner called "Feel 'N Learn" which were made from 2004 until 2007. Luvs also had a line of training pants made in the 1990s.
Sponsorships
Pull-Ups are the official sponsor of ESPN Radio's coverage of Major League Baseball, as well as Westwood One's coverage of Sunday Night Football.
See also
- Huggies
- Toilet training
External links
- Pull-Ups Training Pants Official Website