Business Notes Corporations

"Thank you for calling Procter & Gamble concerning the malicious and completely false stories about our company's trademark," begins the recording. That toll-free message at (800) 354-0508 is one of the ways in which Procter & Gamble has tried to quash a persistent whisper campaign alleging that its man-in-the-moon logo is satanic and that the company is somehow involved in devil worship. Last week the giant Cincinnati manufacturer (1984 sales: $12.9 billion) decided that the 103-year-old logo has become more of a headache than it is worth. Frustrated by an inexplicable rebirth of the rumors on the East Coast, Procter & Gamble said it would start removing the trademark within a year or so from all its packages.

Procter & Gamble explains that the stars in the symbol signified the original 13 colonies and that the quarter moon with a human face was simply a popular image of the time. While the company wanted to retain the symbol for posterity, market research showed that most consumers never even notice it. Said Spokesman W.F. Dobson: "There is very little benefit to having it on the packages." Procter & Gamble, which makes a host of products ranging from Jif peanut butter to Crest toothpaste, will retain the symbol on corporate stationery and buildings.