Diphenhydramine: The Miraculous Oh So Fantasticus Cure-All

Hello Fellow Bloggers, my apologies for the late post, some family matters came up this weekend. Anyhow, boy do I have the drug for you! Introducing:

DIPHENHYDRAMINE: THE MIRACULOUS OH SO FANTASTICUS CURE-ALL!

Are you having trouble with allergies causing itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, congestion, sneezing, sinus pressure or hives? Or a food or drug allergy reaction? Or trouble sleeping? Or maybe even your kid sleeping?

Well look no further! Diphenhydramine is here to help! Not familiar with this cure all? You might recognize it a little better with some makeup and a brand name on:

 

All of the Brands above contain Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride. The usual oral dosage is 25 mg while the topical cream active ingredient strength is 2%. This same drug is marketed as a "non-habit forming" sleep aid, an allergy relief medication, and an anti-itch cream. Yet, the only main difference between these medications is the coloring, advertising, and name they are sold under. However, for simplicity, we will focus on Benadryl for our investigation today.

Well after a short trip to their website it was clear who the villian was made out to be for their advertising: the BIG EVIL FLOWER MAN. aka pollen. also featuring helpless women running for her life.

Source: Benadryl Website

From their bright pink labeling and pill, to the ads featuring only women, flowers, and children. It is obvious that this drug is clearly targeted for the audience of mothers (and their children which they might be overprotective of).

Active Ingredient: Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride 25mg (antihistamine: blocks histamines which are release naturally by the body in response to allergens)

Price Range: 4 to 20 dollars depending on packaging

The Owner: Johnson & Johnson......wow those guys own a lot: Tylenol, Band-Aids, Aveeno,  Efferdent, Baby Stuff, Visine, Neutrogena, Sudafed and even K-Y!

So what gives away Johnson &Johnson's hybrid: Benadryl? Aside from the very girly labeling of flowers, women doing womanly things like getting flowers from a man, a BRIGHT pink pill to solve her problems, and cute tiny pink ones to give to her kids too, not to mention the tone of the advertisements use to target them such as, " Give kids' allergies a time out". We've caught you pink handed Johnson & Johnson. Marketing a simple antihistamine: diphenhydramine as a cure all to busy mothers all around the world, at a slightly inconvenient, yet not alarming price of $1.87/oz. or $0.35/pill. Issues of heteronormativity and overt patriarchal views are stark and emphasized in Johnson & Johnson's marketing. Placing women in a purely motherly view or as damsel in destress seen above with the large flower monster, are problematic in themselves, but that doesn't even being to scratch the surface when it come to the magic of rebranding the same active ingredient to a new audience in just as patronizing of a way.

Hear is a commercial for your enjoyment to get the full effect of what is stated above:
https://youtu.be/JVqcbRbOTd0