Blurring the Boundaries Between Medicine and Food: The Canny Marketing of Läkerol in Early Twentieth-Century Sweden
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: This paper explores the early marketing practices (1910-1940) of the Swedish cough drop brand Läkerol, demonstrating how it capitalised on the 'spaces of confusion' posed by the product's liminality between food and medicine to create a slick marketing campaign inspired by the tried-and-tested formulas of the food industry. Advertisements used a range of strategies, such as expert and role model testimonials, humorous and serious newsjacking and the introduction of a friend-physician brand mascot to extend Läkerol from a cold remedy to an everyday product necessary for fun and excitement. By telling consumers not just about its benefits, but also connoting that it was part of a contemporary way of living, Läkerol was able to incorporate itself into a daily consumerist lifestyle, growing into a trendy and popular brand consumed daily by Swedes as part of a ritualised practice.
Source: Social History of Medicine
DOI: 10.1093/shm/hkae038
Authors: Lauren Alex O’Hagan, Göran Eriksson
Institutions: The Open University, Örebro University
Language: English
Topic: American History and Culture
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,933
OpenAlex ID: W4399701666