Vicks

Vicks
Product typeOver-the-counter medicines
Owner
CountryUnited States
Introduced1898; 126 years ago (1898)
Related brandsWick
Previous ownersRichardson-Vicks, Inc.
Tagline"Breathe Life In"
Websitevicks.com
  • Former names:
  • Lunsford Richardson Wholesale Drug Company (1898–1905)
  • Vick's Family Remedies (1905–1911)
  • Vick Chemical Company (1911–1982)

Vicks is an American brand of over-the-counter medications owned by the American companies Procter & Gamble and Kaz Incorporated. Vicks manufactures NyQuil and its sister medication, DayQuil as well as other medications in the "Quil" line. Vicks also produces the Formula 44 brand of cough medicines, cough drops, Vicks VapoRub, and a number of inhaled breathing treatments. For much of its history, Vicks products were manufactured by the family-owned company Richardson-Vicks, Inc., based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Richardson-Vicks, Inc., was eventually sold to Procter & Gamble in 1985. Procter & Gamble divested the Vicks VapoSteam U.S. liquid inhalant business and sold it to Helen of Troy in 2015.[1]

In German-speaking countries (apart from Switzerland), Vicks is known as Wick to avoid brand blundering, as "Vicks" when pronounced in German would sound similar to a vulgar word.[2]

  1. ^ Beckerman, Josh. "Procter & Gamble Sells Vicks VapoStream U.S. Business to Helen of Troy". WSJ. Archived from the original on 2020-03-06. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  2. ^ "WICK Vaporub Erkältungssalbe: gegen Erkältung" (in German). Wick.de. 2016-01-02. Archived from the original on 2014-02-10. Retrieved 2017-06-17.