Dramamine’s 75th Anniversary Campaign Celebrates the Barf Bag’s Farewell
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Dramamine, the iconic nausea relief and motion sickness prevention medication, the brand launched a unique campaign centered around an item their product has nearly rendered obsolete: the barf bag. This inventive campaign kicked off with a documentary titled “The Last Barf Bag: A Tribute to a Cultural Icon,” which premiered on Dramamine’s YouTube channel.
The Documentary: A Journey Through History
The 14-minute educational film explores the history of the barf bag, introduced the same year as Dramamine in 1949. It features insights from doctors, flight attendants, historians, and everyday people, reflecting on the cultural significance of the barf bag. The documentary also shares stories from dedicated collectors who have amassed thousands of barf bags from various airlines over the years.
A Pop-Up Exhibition in New York City
To complement the documentary, a pop-up exhibition in New York City displayed hundreds of historic and rare barf bags, showcasing designs spanning over five decades. This one-day-only event on April 3 coincided with the documentary’s online release, offering visitors a nostalgic look at this soon-to-be relic.
The ‘This is Not a Barf Bag’ Collection
Developed by agency FCB Chicago, the campaign’s final core element aimed to preserve the legacy of barf bags through the ‘This is Not a Barf Bag’ collection. Available on Dramamine’s online store, this collection features repurposed barf bags with creative designs suggesting alternative uses, such as puppets, chef’s hats, gloves, envelopes, vases, popcorn bags, and coolers. Each redesigned bag is sold for $5, with a $10 option that includes a sample of Dramamine.
Artistic Flair from Jessie Maxwell Bearden
Artist Jessie Maxwell Bearden contributed to the campaign by creating the designs for the upcycled barf bags. She also crafted a one-of-a-kind puffer jacket made from old barf bag designs, initially displayed at the New York exhibition. This unique jacket was later given away to a lucky visitor on Dramamine’s online store on April 17.
Conclusion
Dramamine’s 75th-anniversary campaign is a nostalgic celebration that creatively commemorates the barf bag, an item that has journeyed alongside the brand for decades. By turning a utilitarian object into a cultural artifact, Dramamine not only honors its history but also engages with its audience in a novel and memorable way.
CREDITS
Brand: Dramamine (Prestige Consumer Health).
Senior Brand Manager: Erica Nesbitt.
Creative Agencies: FCB Chicago.
Media Agency: The Shipyard.
PR Agency: 360PR+ Boston.
Production Company: Sunny Sixteen Los Angeles.
Post Production & VFX: 456 Studios.
Music & Sound: JSM Music.
