Mortein

Mortein

File:Mortein lrg.jpg
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Area served	Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania and Papua New Guinea
Owner	Reckitt Benckiser

Mortein is an Australian brand of household insecticide owned by Reckitt Benckiser. Together with its sister product Aerogard, a popular insect repellent, Mortein has become something of a household name in Australia. The brand has been represented in television advertisements by cartoon antagonist, Louie the Fly, drawn and animated by Geoffry Morgan Pike since 1957. In a jingle created by Bryce Courtenay it was used in animated TV commercials since 1962, he proudly sings of his own dirtiness, claiming to be afraid of no-one except "the man with the can of Mortein."

Mortein's slogan is "More smart, more safe, Mortein." The word "Mortein" is a combination of the French word "mort" (dead) and the German word "ein" (one).

Mortein "Insect Seeking Fly Spray" uses the active ingredients Allethrin (2.09 g/kg) and Resmethrin (0.39 g/kg), both Pyrethroid neuro-toxins which are not known to be harmful to humans in typical doses, and break down after one or two days. Mortein is also available in New Zealand and India. It is a very popular insecticide brand in Pakistan Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan Limited.

The music and lyrics were written by James Joseph White and the copyright of the music and lyrics was held by him until his death. The copyright then was inherited by his relatives. The copyright of the jingle is registered with A.P.R.A (Australasian Performing Right Association LTD).

In Spring 2013, Mortein was sold in stores around Fiji and the Comoros.

External links

• Mortein and Aerogard