Who Put the ‘Soap’ in ‘Soap Opera’ ?

Back in the day, before social media turned us all into scrolling zombies, soap operas were the kings and queens of daytime TV.

These shows weren't just filler for your granny's afternoon; they were sacred daily rituals for millions.

But hang on, ever scratch your head over the name "soap opera"? It’s hardly a name you’d expect for a genre bustling with emotional turmoil and cliffhangers.

I mean, with all the catchy titles in the world, why slap on a label that sounds more suited for the laundry room than the living room?

Well, Genius Marketing.  

Rewind to the 1930s in the US, when soap companies were on a mission to capture the hearts (and wallets) of housewives.

The plan? Radio dramas.

Long before Netflix binges, radio was where the action was at. Shows got cosy with sponsors like P&G’s Oxydol, Duz, and Ivory soaps. 

But P&G didn't just stop at sponsoring these melodramas. They went full throttle, producing these serial dramas themselves.

Given their roots in detergents, the dramas naturally inherited the "soap opera" moniker.

And when television started to take over living rooms in the '50s and '60s, P&G was right there, pioneering more than 20 dramas. 

They launched  their subsidiary ‘Procter & Gamble Animation’ to produce "The Animals" for the Disney Channel. 

P&G started as selling soaps but soon turned into the world’s leading advertisers producing around 20 shows over their 185 + year history.

Back in the '30s, they got ahead of the curve and started making what we now call "soap operas" on the radio.