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Vicks History


The Vicks® story isn't brief, but it is interesting. Below is a decade-by-decade timeline that shows how Vicks has grown for more than 100 years.

Click on any of the decades below to take a look at past Vicks ads, watch vintage TV spots, learn interesting Vicks facts, and see just how far the legacy has grown. .

Historical Vicks ads are for entertainment purposes only. Historical product claims may no longer be valid. For information on current Vicks products and usage, go to the Products section. Use all products as currently directed.

Vicks: A Century of Soothing, Comforting Care

1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s
1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s

Vicks in the 1940s
1930s    1950s
The Vicks Greensboro plant, circa the 1940s.
Enlarge		The original Vicks® VapoRub® manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina
A 1941 advertisement for the Vicks Inhaler.
Enlarge		In 1941, the original Vicks® Inhaler is introduced in the U.S. The Inhaler contains a unique blend of menthol, camphor, methyl salicylate, oil of sassafras, and oil of Siberian pine needles (which is later replaced by a manufactured compound in 1958 to aid conservation efforts).
A 1940s advertisement for the Vicks product line.
Enlarge		This magazine ad from the 1940s, which features the entire Vicks® product line at the time, is one of the first Vicks color print advertisements.
Historical Vicks ads are for entertainment purposes only. Historical product claims may no longer be valid.
For information on current Vicks products and usage, go to the Products section. Use all products as currently directed.