Vanquish, Almost Forgotten Pain Reliever, Not Vanquished

Occasionally it is fun to look at a disappeared brand that was prominent on shelves. Such was the pain pill Vanquish.

It is still made by Bayer, and competes with Excedrin, Anacin and Goody’s as an aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine constructed pain reliever. It’s quite a competitive and genericized category though; like soft drink companies, pharmaceutical makers like to have a product in each category, even if they aren’t a market leader.

Above, a 1965 ad from The Internet Archive. It is interesting that it is marketed to women, even though today, the category has a more work-oriented appeal. But perhaps in the mid 60s, being home with laundry was true headache zone.

Vanquish was trademarked in April 1963, under the “alalgesic and antipyretic” category of trademarks. The first maker was Sterling Drug, and currently the trademark owner is Bayer Healthcare LLC. Sterling, of course, is the company that was granted the right to sell Bayer Aspirin in the U.S. through most of the 20th century, and kept that right until repurchased by Bayer.

It is interesting that because the name is a real word, there are fewer possibilities for brand extensions, as dozens of other companies use the name in other categories that even include smoking devices and cigars. Even a fat reduction technique for physicians.

Author

  • Garland Pollard

    J. Garland Pollard IV is editor/publisher of BrandlandUSA. Since 2006, the website BrandlandUSA.com has chronicled the history and business of America’s great brands.

3 Comments

  1. Please put vanquish back on pharmacy shelves. It is the only thing that helps me with my pain

  2. I’ve used Vanquish since it came out. GREAT PRODUCT,PLEASE NEVER STOP MAKING IT. ENDS PAIN BETTER THAN RX MEDS.I HAVE A HARD TIMR FINDING IT THOUGH

  3. I’ve been taking Vanquish ever since the early ’60s. It’s the ONLY medication that gets rid of my horrible headaches. My family and friends always tease me, because no matter where I go…or what I do, I always carry at least one bottle of my “trusty” Vanquish WITH me! Please, PLEASE! NEVER stop making it!!

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