THIS past Heritage Month, Vicks reminded South Africans that relief is truly in our roots.
Through a heartfelt campaign celebrating 50 years in South Africa, the brand inspired over 120 000 South Africans to share their personal stories of care, connection, and family — proving just how deeply Vicks is woven into our national fabric.
The “Relief Is In Our Roots” campaign — featuring a collaboration with Zinhle Sithole (Zee Feels) and the limited-edition Vicks Heritage Blanket — resonated widely, generating 33 million content views and reaffirming Vicks as one of South Africa’s most loved household brands.
Relief Is In Our Roots: How Vicks became a symbol of South African care
The scent of memory
It starts with a smell. Sharp. Soothing. Deeply familiar.
You’re five years old, snuggled under a crocheted blanket. Your nose is blocked, nasal congestion. Then: the soft warmth of your mother’s hands rubbing something cool and menthol-sweet onto your chest. The whisper: “Breathe now, my child” A kiss on the forehead. That’s it. You’re safe.
In South Africa, this is a shared memory. A quiet tradition passed between generations, a language of love spoken not in words, but in rubs, steam bowls, and the scent of care.
And at the heart of that ritual? A little blue jar: Vicks.
A family heirloom that came in a jar
It’s hard to believe that Vicks has been here for 50 years. It feels like it’s always been here, tucked inside medicine cabinets, wrapped in handbags, passed from grandmother to mother to child like a whispered secret for when life gets heavy or the sniffles won’t let go.
In reality, Vicks made its South African debut in 1974. By then, it was already a global favourite, born in North Carolina in 1894 when a pharmacist, Lunsford Richardson, created a salve to soothe his son’s chest cold. That salve became VapoRub, and the world inhaled.
But here, in Mzansi, something else happened: Vicks wasn’t just used. It was absorbed into our culture. Like maas and mielies, it became a staple, not just for healing bodies, but for holding us together.
How we used it, how we loved it
Ask any South African. They’ll tell you how their family used Vicks. But listen closely, and what they’re really telling you is how they were loved.
Some remember grandmothers who rubbed it on their backs with a prayer. Others recall uncles expertly prepping steam bowls with boiling water and towels over the head, commanding you to “inhale!”. It didn’t matter where you came from – township, suburb, farm, or flat – Vicks was the great equaliser. A cultural connector in a country of contrasts.
And the tradition? Always the same. Rub. Breathe. Rest. Relief.
Heritage you can feel
This year, Vicks partnered with Zee Feels (Zinhle Sithole) to create a Heritage Blanket, a tactile celebration of comfort, healing, and identity. It was covered in symbols we all recognised: maize, proteas, the springbok. And it offered the same thing the brand has always offered: something to wrap around yourself when the world feels too loud.
The blanket is a limited edition, but the sentiment lives on. Because Vicks is still doing what it’s always done. Letting us breathe easier. Feel more held. Pass something meaningful along.
The impact of the campaign was astounding – more than 120 000 South Africans added their voices to the campaign, sharing why Vicks is a South African heritage brand, while the campaign content was viewed an incredible 33 million times.
A final inhale
So maybe you open a jar of Vicks not just for your sinuses but for your soul. Maybe you inhale a little deeper. Remember a little more. Pass it on, like a bedtime story or a family song.
Because in this country, healing has never just been physical. It’s been in our hands. Our blankets. Our rituals. And in one small, blue jar filled not just with vapour, but with love.
Image (This year, Vicks partnered with Zee Feels (Zinhle Sithole) to create a Heritage Blanket, a tactile celebration of comfort, healing, and identity).
