Which company introduced the first roll-on deodorant, Ban Roll-On, in 1952?

Which company introduced the first roll-on deodorant, Ban Roll-On, in 1952? Bristol-Myers introduced Ban Roll-On in 1952.

The idea borrowed from the ballpoint pen, whose small rolling ball could transfer ink smoothly. Bristol-Myers researchers adapted that principle for underarm products, creating a bottle that applied deodorant through a rotating ball instead of fingers, a spray, or a cream jar.

There is a small historical wrinkle behind the familiar claim. Some accounts identify the earliest 1952 product as Roulette, a Bristol-Myers roll-on that had technical problems. Ban became the successful branded roll-on associated with the innovation, and later histories sometimes use “Ban Roll-On” as shorthand for the 1952 introduction.

The company had acquired the Mum deodorant business in 1931, giving it an established product and distribution network. This history is why Bristol-Myers—not Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, or Procter & Gamble—is the canonical answer to the quiz question.