Etienne Thil the man who created generics. No marketing concept had more impact on the early development of private label than the introduction of black and white generics by the French hypermarket chain Carrefour in 1976. Presented in plain white packaging with simple, elegant and legible black and red lettering, produit libres, as they were known in France, stood out on the shelves. It was not long before the concept fired the imagination of retailers around the world. Etienne Thil was also an author, and his third book “Un Pavé de la Marque” correctly forecast the irrevocable change in the marketplace caused by private label and what it would mean to the balance of power between retailers and national brand manufacturers. Following his death in 1996, the Etienne Thil Foundation was established to organize conferences and scholarships to remember his work.