HYDERABAD: Procter & Gamble's Vicks, India’s leading cough and cold brand, today marked 50 years in the country with a Dual Golden Jubilee Offer promotion.

The first is a Free Vicks Inhaler with every purchase of a 50gm Vicks VapoRub Jar, and the second is a 30gm Vicks VapoRub Jar at the price of a 25gms jar.

The story of the Vicks brand in India began in 1952 with the launch of Vicks VapoRub. Vicks VapoRub created and has led the cold rub segment till today, a company release says. In 1965, Vicks pioneered the farming of Mentha Arvensis in India, and the manufacture of menthol, which is the key active ingredient in all Vicks products and because of which today, India is the largest exporter of menthol in the world. This was followed by the launch of Vicks Inhaler – the first inhaler product in India in 1966. The next product launched in 1966 was Vicks Cough Drops. Following Cough Drops, the Vicks line was extended with launch of the multi action colds caplet for Adults – Vicks Action 500 in 1978.

Today, Vicks Action 500 is not just the market leader in India but is the only successful multi-symptom cold tablet sold by P&G worldwide, the release states. The 1980s also saw the launch of memorable heart-tugging advertising, some of which were – the ‘Happy Birthday Mummy’ and ‘Touch Therapy’ campaigns for Vicks VapoRub, the ‘Khich Khich Dooor Karo’ ad for Vicks Cough Drops, the ‘Ha Bhai Ha’ ad for Vicks Action 500.

Mrs World beauty queen and leading model Aditi Govitrikar was present with her daughter Kiara to launch the Golden Jubilee Offers.

According to Bharat V Patel, chairman, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd, with annual sales of over Rs 1,700 million, Vicks is the biggest health care brand in India.