Under his leadership, the company instituted a systematic method of advertising its distinctive soap, in which slogans and memorable images were combined.

[7] Barratt followed this with a series of advertisements inspired by Millais' painting, portraying cute children in idealized middle-class homes, associating Pears with social aspiration and domestic comfort.

In 1882, Barratt recruited English actress and socialite Lillie Langtry to become the poster-girl for Pears soap, making her the first celebrity to endorse a commercial product.

[5] Another of Barratt's gimmicks was to import half a million French centimes, imprint them with Pears' name and introduce them into circulation.

[3] Barratt also linked Pears' to British imperial culture, associating the cleansing power of the soap with the imagery of worldwide commerce and the empire's civilising mission.

He was keen to define a strong brand image for Pears while also emphasising his products' ubiquity with saturation campaigns.

He became Deputy Lieutenant of the City of London, a Master of the Barbers' Company, and a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical and Statistical Societies.