John Osher’s $5 SpinBrush Grew Into a $475 Million Deal

John Osher and his partners developed the SpinBrush, a low-cost electric toothbrush that Procter & Gamble ultimately bought for about $475 million. The product’s strategy began with a simple contrast: build up from a manual brush’s low cost, rather than trim features from a premium electric model.

“Our advantage was that we were trying to design up from 80 cents, while everybody else was trying to design down from $79,” Osher told Knowledge at Wharton. The team aimed to sell an electric brush for about $5, putting it within reach of shoppers who would not pay premium prices.

Osher’s company, Dr. John’s Products, launched the brush in 1999 at Meijer stores in the Midwest. The team drew on earlier experience with battery-powered toys, using a small motor and a simple mechanism instead of the costly components found in high-end brushes.

Packaging helped explain the product at the shelf. A “Try Me” button let shoppers activate the brush before buying, demonstrating how an inexpensive electric model worked without relying on a salesperson.

Osher later said the product brought in $44 million in its first year. P&G acquired the business in 2001, and its annual reports put the adjusted purchase price at about $475 million. The total included later payments, rather than one upfront check.

The acquisition also tested how a large company handles a fast-selling product. Osher recalled that P&G’s inventory rules initially called for slowing production to build stock, even as demand was rising. The team pushed to keep shipments moving.

P&G later sold the SpinBrush business in 2006, according to its filings, as the company completed its acquisition of Gillette. The toothbrush’s brief run inside P&G shows how a low-cost product can create value by reaching buyers that premium rivals overlook.