Sleeping Pills

Best Sleep You Ever Had!?!

mccartl4 OCT Drugs, Sleeping Pills, Uncategorized , , , , ,

To sleep as if we were babies, a bear hibernating, or on a vacation on the beach, or like you hadn’t seen your bed in days, or even weeks, or if you were a parent and dropped the kids off at their grandparents house for the entire weekend, or simply just take zzz quill as that’s apparently the solution to getting the sleep we desperately need and want. The ad ensures that as a consumer you will sleep easily, soundly, and wake refreshed because sleep is a beautiful thing we need. I chose this ad because I can relate to losing sleep as many of us can and wishing for those ideas of sleeping like a baby or on a vacation somewhere on a beach but also because I have taken this product and definitely don’t feel like I got the best sleep of my life or woke up refreshed for the next day.

The company that produces ZzzQuil, is VICKS. VICKS slogan is that their legacy is about more than just cold and flu medicine. It’s about giving families the opportunity to continue life- even on sick days- for more than 100 years (VICKS History). VICKS is well known for it’s cold and flu medicine along with DayQuil and NyQuil. VICKS has been around since the late 1800’s when a pharmacist named Lunsford Richardson created and sold Croup and Pneumonia Salve under the VICKS name. In 2012, VICKS came out with a non habit forming sleep aid in ZzzQuil. ZzzQuil came out in warming berry liquid and liquid caps for those occasional sleepless nights. In 2015, Zzzquil came out with a new flavor in calming vanilla cherry and soothing mango berry.

VICKS has become a respected company for hundreds of years and they continue to have new products that come out for consumers. VICKS currently has out on the market is vapor rub, cough drops, cough syrup, nasal spray, NyQuil, NyQuil Severe, DayQuil, DayQuil Severe, and ZzzQuil.

The intended audience for VICKS products and more importantly ZzzQuil, is definitely hard working adults who could also be parents. With the many ads I’ve come across in magazines showed adults sleeping with some sort of saying such as “sleep like a rock” or “because sleep is a beautiful thing” and my favorite was a tweet post saying “SLEEP LIKE he finally proposed. And you have been dating for a decade. #SleepLike #engaged #shesaidyes” with a lady sleeping and a nice expensive ring on her finger. Magazines I’ve noticed these ads are in TIME, Glamour, Entrepreneur, Food Network, and VOGUE. All of these magazines are directed towards adults. All of these ads whether in the magazines or on a television commercial, they are reaching for people who are extremely tired and people who just need a break in life. I’ve noticed the commercials to run more so in the evening to night time which is tricky because people may be watching television when they can’t sleep and get the grand idea that they need to go and purchase this particular sleep aid.


The active ingredients in ZzzQuil is 50 milligrams of Diphenhydramine HCI. Diphenhydramine is a common ingredient in Benadryl which means the same drug that helps us with our sneezing and itching is also used for our disturbed sleep. However, ZzzQuil promotes that the drug is not habit forming and therefore not addictive per say. ZzzQuil offers a quick way to fall asleep and sleep a good seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. With that I would beg to differ in that it is habit forming and therefore addictive because if someone is having the same issue every night and can’t sleep and they revert to taking ZzzQuil each night, they now have created a habit and therefore addicted. I would assume until the individual got used to the drug that they gained a tolerance for it and could abuse the sleep aide. I noticed that on the bottle, you have to peel back to find how much an individual should take as it’s not in plain sight and the commercials never speak of side effects although it’s clearly stated on the bottle. Those who are breastfeeding or pregnant should not use the product and any children under twelve should keep away from the product. Also if an individual is already using a drug that contains Diphenhydramine, to not use the product.

The advertisement techniques used for ZzzQuil are very catchy. Playing a commercial in the evening time into the night more frequently then during the day time. The two advertisements I show above with showing adults sleeping with some sort of saying such as “sleep like a rock” or “because sleep is a beautiful thing” and the tweet post saying “SLEEP LIKE he finally proposed. And you have been dating for a decade. #SleepLike #engaged #shesaidyes” with a lady sleeping and a huge engagement ring. Most of the images are of people soundly sleeping, peaceful, and relaxed. The video above is also very deceptive as it shows you everything you wish for when you are sleep deprived from sleeping like a baby, or a bear, or on a vacation on the beach, or like you hadn’t seen your bed in weeks or even months, and relating those feelings to what ZzzQuil can do for you giving you that promise that the drug can give you those images of having the best sleep of your life. And the slogan of “because sleep is a beautiful thing,” ensures that why are you up fighting your sleep when you can just take this pill or amount of liquid to solve all of your sleepless nights.

 

Overall I would have to say that the drug does work and helps the occasional sleepless nights. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for chronic sleepless nights. I’ve tried it before, only because I was sold on the “non habit forming” bright lettering and I wanted to avoid Nyquil as I wasn’t ill. It definitely assisted in putting me to sleep, however, I didn’t feel like I slept like a baby, or like I hadn’t seen my bed in weeks or months. I honestly still felt a little tired when I woke up but was thankful I was able to get some sleep. With the article by Alena Hall on “The Truth About Over-The-Counter Sleep Aids” I liked what she had to say in that taking sleep aids occasionally are fine, however, she begs the point on “do we really need these?” As it may be okay to take on occasional nights where you have no idea why you can’t sleep and have a big meeting or project due the next day however, once it becomes a nightly or weekly problem that it may be time to check into an individuals daily habits before reverting to a chemical solution (Hall).  Eating a balanced meal, waking up at the same time every day, and setting a nightly regimen will help in going to sleep at a decent hour without the need of a sleeping aid. Therefore, I would recommend this drug only if someone had the occasional sleepless night but not a friend or family member who lacks sleep consistently. I wouldn’t want them to create a habit of taking it and potentially having a dependence on the drug to get adequate sleep.

References:

Diphenhydramine. (n.d.) Retrieved November 27, 2017, from http://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682539.html.

Hall, Alena. (2015) The Truth About Over-The-Counter Sleep Aids. Healthy Living. Retrieved November 27, 2017 from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/23/zzzquil-ingredients_n_6902780.html

Vicks History. (n.d). Retrieved November 27, 2017, from http://vicks.com/en-us/vicks-history.

Zzzquil Oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing. (n.d.) Retrieved November 27, 2017, from http://www/webmd/com/drugs/2/drug-161075/zzzquil-oral/detail.

Lunesta, Hypnotically Addictive

starkej2 Sleeping Pills

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu0rXFhsM8w  

 

I chose to blog about sleeping aids because I know a lot of people suffer from sleeping problems or disorders and getting a good night’s sleep for some people can only come from the help of these drugs. So I really wanted to learn more about sleeping aids and the companies that make them. I chose to focus on a specific sleeping aid called Lunesta because I specifically remember seeing ads for Lunesta a few years ago when I was watching a show on tv. Lunesta has the active ingredient eszopiclone and is used to help people fall asleep that have sleep problems like insomnia. Lunesta is supposed to help you relax so you can fall asleep and to help you stay asleep so you can get 7 to 8 hours of a deep sleep.

 

The company that produces Lunesta is called Sunovion formerly known as Sepracor Inc. Sepracor Inc was founded in 1984 and had a rocky road in the drug industry before its acquisition to Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. in 2010 (Sepracor, 2002). Lunesta was FDA approved in 2004 prior to the acquisition of the company to Sumitomo Dainippon Parma Co. In 2010 Sunovion also got the drug, Latuda FDA approved which is a treatment for adult patients that have schizophrenia. Latuda was also approved for marketing in Canada (2012) and in Europe (2014). And just this year Latuda was FDA approved for the treatment of schizophrenia for 13-17 year olds. Latuda was also approved for the treatment of depressive episodes in bipolar 1 disorders in adults. In 2011 Sunovion partnered with CARE to help improve the lives and the health of those in need. In 2015 Sunovion received the Scrip Award for Management Team of the Year and the Silver Stevie Award for Global Clinical Development Organization (Sunovion, 2017). Sunovion’s mission is “to broadly contribute to society through value creation based on innovative research and development activities for the betterment of health care and fuller lives of people worldwide” (Sunovion, 2017). Their vision is to help lead the way to a world that is more healthy. The values they believe in are to place the customer first, acting with the highest of standards and caring for their people.

 

The audience that the company, Sunovion is trying to reach is definitely adults. The majority, I would assume to be around middle age as there are certain side effects that elderly people have had when taking Lunesta. Lunesta is not recommended for people that are not adults and the dosage is usually smaller for those that are elderly. The advertisement that I am focusing on only has adults in it and I would say that they are all about middle aged. This would make sense since Lunesta is not for kids and adults that have less health issues, usually younger adults, are better candidates for having less side effects. Or at least having side effects that aren’t as troublesome.

 

The active ingredient in Lunesta is eszopiclone. Eszopiclone is apparently highly addictive and only meant for a short time use. People who are addicted to Lunesta show many signs that people addicted to other drugs show. For example they may take Lunesta longer than they are prescribed it, isolate themselves from their loved ones, repeatedly put off quitting Lunesta, start taking more than their prescribed dosage, etc. When people addicted to Lunesta quit taking it, they may experience withdrawal symptoms like insomnia or anxiety. (Addiction to Lunesta, 2017). The ad for Lunesta said nothing about the high potential for addiction of it. Which can be very misleading as getting 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night is a very attractive idea. Since Lunesta is such an addictive drug it can sometimes lead to an overdose which can cause extreme drowsiness, abruptly passing out, difficulty breathing and even a coma (Addiction to Lunesta, 2017). Taking Lunesta with other drugs (other sleeping ads or alcohol) could lead to an overdose and could also be fatal, which is another huge drawback of Lunesta.

 

The ad for Lunesta starts out with this glowing butterfly, looking pretty similar to the glow in the dark stars that you put on your ceiling as a kid. Very hypnotic and enjoyable to watch as it floats around the screen. The woman narrating the ad has a very calm, hypnotizing voice. Sounding as if she is trying to put you to sleep with her words alone. The butterfly (which is symbolic for the drug, Lunesta) flies around to a couple different households in what seems to be a sleeping city and puts people sleep. The butterfly keeps flying around until it is the morning and the people it helped sleep are now waking up looking well rested and ready to start their day. The ad does give some side effects to using Lunesta, but they all seem rather ambiguous, like drowsiness and a bad taste in the mouth. The side effects that the hypnotic voices tells us don’t seem that bad. What the ad doesn’t tell you is that the potential to become addicted to Lunesta is pretty high. The ad makes Lunesta seem like the perfect sleep aid that has little to no side effects. When is reality Lunesta is highly addictive and has some very uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

 

At first I thought Lunesta was a really great sleep aid. It did a really good job at what it is supposed to do. It provides 7 to 8 hours of deep sleep. Who wouldn’t want that? However Lunesta does too good of a job in my opinion. Since it’s really good at giving a person at least 7 hours of deep sleep, it is highly attractive. I myself would love to get that much sleep every night. I would definitely not recommend Lunesta to any friends or family that have any problems with addictions. Lunesta has a high potential for addiction and can have the withdrawal symptom of insomnia, which is what Lunesta is supposed to help with. I would however recommend it to someone that is having really bad sleeping problems and has had no history with addictions. Lunesta is really good at it’s job and if it wasn’t so addictive, would be a really great product because a lot of the other side effects that are common are not too severe.

Citations:

Lunesta. (September 19, 2016) Retrieved from https://www.drugs.com/lunesta.html

 

Sunovion website. (2017) Retrieved from http://www.sunovion.us/who-we-are/our-mission.html

 

Sepracor Inc. History. (2002) Retrieved from http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/sepracor-inc-history/

 

Addiction to Lunesta. (2017) Retrieved from https://www.addictioncenter.com/sleeping-pills/lunesta/

What a Snooze!

quirozk Sleeping Pills, Uncategorized

Sleep, it’s a majestic act that we do, or at least try to do, everyday. We crave it at night, and we cannot seem to let go in the morning. The best part about sleep, is that you don’t even have to do anything, and yet it is the best hobby. Your body cannot fight sleep; we are ticking time bombs that need sleep in order to recover from all the things we do in a day. However, we cannot always assume that everyone is going to get the same amount or comfort of sleep. For example, those less fortune might not even have a bed to rest on. Others, cannot physically fall asleep due sleep, even though the body relies on it. These are only fragments of examples that could lead someone to seek an aid to restfully fall asleep.

Vicks does a comical approach in influencing their audience to consider taking these sleeping aid, ZZZQuil. Of course Vicks is extremely well-known for their cough medicine, Nyquil. Another fan favorite is Vicks Vapor Rub, also mainly used for treating a stuffy or runny nose. Vicks alone has been around since the late 1800’s, that is a great amount to gain a reliable reputation and trust from consumers. Vicks originated as a small cold remedy company created by a pharmacist, Lunsford Richardson. The small company soon bloomed with the help of free samples, billboards and newspaper advertisement. Because the company was such a success, it soon started to manufacture cough drops and thus the products that are sold today.

This ad highly stands out from other sleeping aid advertisements because of the humor of the commercial and also because of the accessibility of this medication. The laughable approach makes this advertisement unique and it draws the consumer in. It creates a sense of trust and a funny, yet memorable, product to potentially use. In addition to this, the accessibility to ZZZQuil is much too easy for those over 18. The sleeping aid is an over the counter drug, with a low cost. Since the access to this drug is very convenient, it will attract a diverse population of consumers versus a prescription sleeping aid.

An aspect of this advertisement commercial that makes this product more inclusive, is  whom is in the commercial. Vicks, included potential patients that could use this mediation; this includes men and women of varies ages (all over 18 of course). Another double taking aspect of this advertisement is the execution and style of the commercial. This advertisement shows individuals in a deep sleep, deep enough where it is funny and entertaining. We all know, that no one looks like sleeping beauty when they are in deep sleep, we all toss and turn and some of us even snore. Even though the actors and actresses in this commercial look “silly”, the sleep that they are portraying looks extremely comfortable. It is an unbothered sleep that is craved by those who have a rough time falling asleep.

Because the advertisement is a commercial, it is nearly accessible for anyone who has a television. However, because of the trends of this society, YouTube has also become a popular platform that shows advertisements between videos. Thus, virtually anyone who has a television and/or computer can be exposed to this ad. Of course, it might not affect some like it does to others, for example, those who clearly have trouble falling asleep might be more inclined to try the product. And again, because Vicks has been around for a long time, it has gain the status of being trust worthy and safe, even if that is not the case.

The active ingredient in ZZZQuil is named Diphenhydramine HCL, which according to Vicks “is not habit forming”. This is a sleeping aid that helps people fall asleep quicker and stay asleep between seven to eight hours. Although it is not habit forming, it could become necessary for some consumers to use it more than occasionally. Also, an idea that must also be discussed is for those who might use this come often can create a tolerance for this medication. This could lead to other serious matters, such as maybe trying something with a stronger active ingredient. Dependency could also be generated, if the first time trying it worked wonderfully, why not continue to try it for future occasions.

An interesting point to also consider about this advertisement, is the lack of side effects announced. This add does not announce any side effects at any time during the commercial. It also excludes, how much should be consumed and how often. If consumers solely rely on the commercial, it deprives them from the entire information from the drug that must be discussed. And because there at times we have a misconception of over the counter drugs being always “safe”, some might not look into further detail on the side effects when purchasing the medicine. Nevertheless, some side effects include but are not limited to, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness and constipation, none of which are listed in this specific advertisement.

Although celebrities aren’t used in this advertisement, or the excess use of weasel words, Vicks is still very successful in selling this product to their consumers do to their simplicity. Sleep is obviously something that we all experience, we are biologically wired to sleep when out body needs it the most. However, this ad does use excess expressions to demonstrate how powerful the product actually is, making you fall asleep no matter what. For example, a couple is shown where one person is on top of their partners face. We all know this would be very uncomfortable to sleep through, but the message is about being able to fall asleep no matter what, no matter the position. In addition to this, the ending shows a person waking up with a big smile on their face, clearly happy they took ZZZQuil as their sleeping aid. Of course, this ad wants to show only the positive aspects of the medicine, and perhaps hide some of the negative effects that could arise.

Although the advertisement is amusing and very entertaining, I do not see myself using this product nor would I recommend it to others. Dependency could be formed if the first try was a good experience. Overall, through this ad, it seems as if nothing bad could ever happen, this is due in part because no side effects were said nor displayed, leaving the consumer without the full knowledge that they need.

Although it may not be for everyone, natural remedies and other lifestyle changes could potentially help, such as teas, not eating too late at night or doing small meditations. Also, not everyone can have such privilege but, having a set routine of what time to go to sleep can also make a great impact. Other alternative could also be viewed in further detail by those who lack sleep.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgMoFTBX6EQ

 

Vicks History. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from https://vicks.com/en-us/vicks-history

 

Zzzquil Oral : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-161075/zzzquil-oral/details

 

Diphenhydramine. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682539.html

 

Sleep Away

soltera Sleeping Pills

 

While watching T.V after a long day of work, you will more likely to watch about 50 ads during the commercial breaks. Since it’s the end of the day, sleeping aid companies such as Belsomra, Union and Nyquil, may take advantage of the opportunity to advertise their medications at this time of the 24 hours day we have. These ads for insomnia catches these adults attention at the perfect moment, which I find pretty brilliant. I specifically focused on Belsomra and their video. They created a cute and fun ad to promote their sleeping pills. I found this as super interesting because any adults can relate to, first of all, not sleeping at nights, and second of all, having pets either cuddle with you or not letting you sleep at all. This is definitely a good way to grab people’s attention who happens to be struggling with sleeping.

The company that markets Belsomra is Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp. The company is known as Merck in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey. Committed to improving health and well-being around the world, Merck is an innovative, global healthcare leader. They include diabetes, cancer, vaccines and hospital acute care as their core product categories. They mainly focus on research that is related to conditions that represents some of today’s significant health challenges—like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. They are the ones in the front line to fight against emerging global pandemics such as ebola. They look forward in taking advantage of the financial strength to fulfill their passion of improving health and improving lives worldwide. Merck is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world that has been changing the world for a little over 125 years. Merck’s beginnings can be traced as far as 1668 in Germany. It was a pharmacy called “At the Sign of the Angel” that was later transformed into a drug manufactory in 1827. In 1917, during the entrance of World War I, George Merck, fearing anti-German sentiment, turned over a sizable portion of Merck stock to the Alien Property Custodian of the United States. They did this to end their Merck and Co.’s connections to its German parent. In 1919, Alien Property Custodian sold Merck shares, worth $3 million, to the public. George Merck remained control of the corporation. In 1984, Merck had become the largest U.S.-based manufacturer of drugs in the three largest markets—the United State, Japan, and Europe. Even though there have been several bumps throughout the way, Merck has managed to stay successful over the 125 years. Today there vision is “To make a difference in the lives of people globally through our innovative medicines, vaccines, and animal health products. We are committed to being the premier, research-intensive biopharmaceutical company and are dedicated to proving leading innovations and solutions for today and the future.” Merck wants to be able to help people by providing medicine and vaccines. Their mission statement is, “To discover, develop and provide innovative products and services that save and improve lives around the world.” They look forward to make improvements on their products to give better services and improve people’s lives.

People with insomnia have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or awakening too early, or any combination of the three. As a young adult, this ad does not catch my attention. Yes, I may have sleepless nights, but I don’t suffer from insomnia and I’m not desperate for sleeping aids. This advertisement targets mainly middle age adults to elders. In the video, you notice the lady that is having trouble sleeping is an older adult. Studies has shown that older adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Men and women ages 65+ years have a harder time sleeping throughout the night. The lady represents the older age adults. Also, you relies that it’s a lady who seems to be suffering with insomnia. Women are twice as likely to have insomnia as men, actually. Hormones is one of the reason why many women aren’t getting their sleep. Researchers have found that there are no differences in sleep until puberty starts. At different times of the month women may have harder time getting sleep. Women are also prone to mood disorders, which is related to sleepless nights. Another reason could be the overlap of caregiver responsibilities and work. And the video was the first video on the YouTube page.

One of the main sleep-inducing ingredient in these sleeping aids are diphenhydramine, an antihistamine. Antihistamine have been used by people to reduce fever or cold symptoms, but doctors have been aware that they also make people feel drowsy. Belsomra tablets also contain suvorextant, which is a highly selective antagonist for orexin receptors OX1R and OX2R. The orexin receptors in the brain play a role of keeping a person awake. When suvorexant is applied, its therapeutic effect blocks the binding of wake promoting neuropeptides orexin A and B to receptors OX1R and OX2R. This causes the person to fall to sleep. It’s recommended to take a dose of 10mg once per night and must be taken within 30 minutes of going to bed. If the 10mg isn’t effective, 20mg dose can be taken per day. If someone takes higher doses, it could be dangerous causing drowsiness the following day that may cause auto crashes if they drive. There hasn’t been any major cases where people are addicted, but what could happen is that people may increase their tolerant and what/need a higher dose. It’s also dangerous taking it with alcohol. This could cause abnormal behaviors such as aggressiveness, confusion, agitation, and/or hallucination. If the person is suffering from depression, taking the tablets could worsen their depression. The ad is very good at being transparent including the side effects and dangerous risk that comes along taking Belsomra.

Merck had a unique way of adverting Belsomra. At the beginning of the video, the lady closes her book ready to go to sleep. She reaches for the “sleepy” pet—craftily using this pet metaphor, sleepy cat and lively dog—representing her need to sleep. Sleepy cat gets out of her hands and runs off while she searches for it. This is implying her inability to sleep, also known as insomnia. “Wakey” dog is barking at the cat not letting the cat sleep. The lady then takes Wakey dog to his bed that says “Belsomra” causing the dog to go to sleep. You’re right. Belsomra is the medication that will help you get the sleep that you need. Sleepy cat finally hops onto the bed to cuddle with their owner. This is a great ad because it builds a connection with their audience. They disproportionately try to avoid showing any form of loss, especially the loss of something we are attached to emotionally. They do an excellent job avoiding this by showing the loss of sleep in form of a beloved pet. This triggers the audience making them more interested in the product and wanting to learn more about it. The ad is pretty straight forward. They later show the lady outside taking a walk with their dog that signifies the lady being fully awake.

Personally, if a family member or a good close friend is suffering from insomnia, I would like them to give the sleeping aids a try. I would want them to feel well rested daily and not worry about not being able to sleep the next night. There aren’t any great cases of people over-dosing on sleeping pills to get high or because they are addicted to it. Also, there are many cases of people misusing the drug. They are sleeping pills. It’s self-explanatory. At the same time, I wouldn’t want my friends and/or family to rely on sleeping pills. I have a personal belief that we can train our mind and bodies to do what we wish it could do.

 

 

Citations

Belsomra (suvorexant) for the Treatment of Insomnia. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from http://www.drugdevelopment-technology.com/projects/belsomra-suvorexant-treatment-insomnia/

Company Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from http://www.merck.com/about/our-history/facts/home.html

Conroy, P. D. (n.d.). 3 Reasons Women Are More Likely to Have Insomnia. Retrieved November 02, 2017, from http://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/health-management/3-reasons-women-are-more-likely-to-have-insomnia

PharmaLive. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from http://www.pharmalive.com/favorite-dtc-campaigns/

To Sleep-Aid or Not To Sleep-Aid

roulstb Sleeping Pills , , , ,

The media of our society is a master at distorting the reality around us. They are one of the major institutions that play a key role in what shapes our ideas around many of our opinions on factors such as body image, beauty, gender roles, licit and illicit drugs, the list could go on. An important note to make before proceeding is that, in this article, the term drugs will be referring to over the counter medicines, prescription medicines, and substances that don’t have medical benefits such as cocaine or heroin unless stated otherwise. When looking at how the media shapes our understanding and opinions on drugs, the advertisements for these products are extremely important to look at and analyze critically. Often these advertisements depict an exaggeration of the drug’s positive potential ability while also downgrading, or completely passing over, the potential negative side effects of the drug being advertised. If you’ve ever watched a few hours of television or looked on YouTube for drug advertisements, evidence which can support the allegations above can easily be found, you just need to watch a few advertisements to see it.

There are numerous categories of drugs such as alcohol, cold medicine, and tobacco which can be examined and analyzed to evaluate how media successfully builds up and perpetuates society’s perception of drugs. In this blog post, the category examined will be sleeping aids. In the category of sleeping aids, we will be looking at one drug and an advertisement that has been aired on television, and/ or online, for that drug. The drug advertisement we will examine and analyze is “Vicks® ZzzQuil™ Sleep-Aid for Those Sleepless Nights” which was marketed by the drug company Vicks®. This is a one minute advertisement that has been aired both on television and on online websites. This advertisement was chosen because it is marketed by a well- known company and is a product that many adults have probably used at least once in their lives.

The company marketing ZzzQuil™ is Vicks®. Vicks® was founded in the 1890s by pharmacist Lunsford Richardson in Greensboro, South Carolina. When his shop first opened, he created and sold twenty- one homemade remedies for the ill. The shop was successful due to its Pneumonia Salve, but the company did not introduce its first major product until the Vicks® Cough Drops in the 1930s. From there, Vicks® has developed cough syrups, nasal sprays, cold medicines such as NyQuil™ and DayQuil™, and the sleep aid, ZzzQuil™. According to the company’s mission statement found on Vicks®.com, the company claims its “legacy” revolves around the idea that the company is not merely there to provide cold and flu relief, but to allow “families” to continue with their everyday life regardless of health. Vicks® has been present in our society for over a hundred years and many individuals have used a Vicks® product at least once in their lives. Vicks® was founded around 127 years ago and, throughout its history, it has specialized in the creation and refinement of cold and flu medications and other related medications such as sleep aids. (Vicks®, n.d.)

As with any advertisement, “Vicks® ZzzQuil™ Sleep-Aid for Those Sleepless Nights” has an intended audience. When watching this advertisement, there are some assumptions that can be made about who the intended audience is. One can assume that the audience targets are restless sleepers, those with insomnia or symptoms of insomnia, people with a lot on their mind, or someone in a similar situation as the three described. This can be assumed based on the content of the advertisement. The advertisement is set in a bedroom during the late night when individuals are typically fast asleep. In the bed, you have an extremely restless woman who is tossing and turning while trying to cover her ears with the pillow under her head and get some sleep. Another woman is also in the room. She is dressed in a professional manner, sitting at a desk which is at the end of the bed. This woman, presumably the other woman’s boss, is reminding her about a plethora of tasks that need to be remembered and/or accomplished. After approximately fifty seconds of advertisement, it mentions the product, Vicks® ZzzQuil™, which the advertisement is trying to help sell. In the last ten seconds of the advertisement, you hear a man saying, “when life keeps you up, ZzzQuil™ helps you fall asleep in less than twenty minutes”. This is accompanied by the woman now comfortably sleeping with soothing, light music in the background and a bottle of Vicks® ZzzQuil™ on her bedside table. It is due to the man’s line and the physical brain activity that leads to the assumption of who the audience is.

In Vicks® ZzzQuil™, there is only one active ingredient: Diphenhydramine. (Vicks®, ZzzQuil™ Warming Berry Liquid, n.d.) Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine used primarily to treat minor allergic reactions, seasonal allergies, and cold symptoms but is also promoted heavily as a non- prescription sleep aid. Diphenhydramine is not addictive, but it has potential for abuse and may be dangerous if not used correctly. There are several notable dangers of diphenhydramine. Diphenhydramine can cause an acute asthmatic attack due to thickened bronchial flow in the respiratory system. Large doses of Diphenhydramine can have adverse effects on infants who are breast feeding and can decrease the rate in which breast milk is produced. Safety has not been established for young children and Diphenhydramine can potentially cause heightened side effects if taken. Individuals who have various health issues such as hepatic disease, bladder obstruction, and hypertension are more likely to experience adverse reactions than an individual with no health issues. (Reference, n.d.)The advertisement left out some key information about Vicks® ZzzQuil™. First, the advertisement did not mention any potential side effects at all. These side effects include drowsiness, upset stomach, blurred vision, mental/mood changes (e.g., restlessness, confusion), and difficulty urinating. (WebMD, n.d.)The advertisement failed to inform its audience of the correct dosage and that it was not safe for younger children. The advertisement fails to mention potential risks with mixing the drug with other drugs such as alcohol or other forms of Diphenhydramine (e.g., topical). Overall, this advertisement portrayed an exaggeration of the drug’s positive potential ability while completely passing over the serious potential negative side effects of the drug.

In the Vicks® ZzzQuil™ advertisement, several techniques were implemented to help promote the product. The creators of the one minute advertisement used the following techniques: transference, emotional appeal, promises a benefit, simple solution, exaggeration, and a slogan. Transference, the attempt to make an audience associate positive images, words, or idea with a product and its users, is used in the Vicks® ZzzQuil™ advertisement by creating a positive association with a good night’s sleep and taking Vicks® ZzzQuil™. This is accomplished though the image of the woman struggling to sleep without the product and the ease of sleep with the product. Illustrating the struggle to sleep due to an abundance of thoughts travelling through your mind which many people have experienced at least once in their life establishes the technique of an emotional appeal. This advertisement promises the positive benefit of a good night’s sleep. It exaggerates the positive effects of the product while marking it as a simple solution to an overflowing mind. The product advertisement ends with the product’s slogan “When life keeps you up, ZzzQuil™ helps you sleep”. Several of these techniques can make the advertisement deceptive. The techniques used by the advertisement creators paint the product with rose colored lenses. In other words, the advertisement only portrays the positives of ZzzQuil™.

Overall, I am naturally hesitant to recommend any drug to a good friend or a family member and this does not exclude Vicks® ZzzQuil™. There are many alternatives an individual could try before resorting to medicine. If there are issues with sleeplessness, an individual could try the following to see if the issue ceases to be a problem:

• Exercise daily. Driving exercise is recommended, but lighter exercise works fine as well. Exercises may include: swimming, dancing, running, etcetera.
• Practice a ritual and sleep routine. Have a set routine for when you get ready and go to bed. Avoid activities that can cause stress, anxiety, or excitement. Strong emotions can make it hard for your mind and body to relax.
• Wind down. Do something to calm your mind like reading a book or listening to soothing music. This is a transition from the bustle of the day to the relaxation of sleep.
• Make your room sleep friendly. Experiment with bed set up, room smells, room temperature, and other aspects to find the right fit for you when you go to bed (Foundation, n.d.)

Although not all the methods listed have been medically proven to be effective, it is worth the shot to see if these remedies, and others, can help before turning to Vicks® ZzzQuil™. As noted in earlier in this post, diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Vicks® ZzzQuil™, can have adverse effects and is not recommended for everyone. If I were to recommend a sleep-aid drug, Vicks® ZzzQuil™ would not be at the top of my recommendation list.

 

Works Cited:
Foundation, N. S. (n.d.). Healthy Sleep Tips. Retrieved from National Sleep Foundation: https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-tools-tips/healthy-sleep-tips
Reference, P. D. (n.d.). diphenhydramine hydrochloride – Drug Summary. Retrieved from Prescribers’ Digital Reference: http://www.pdr.net/drug-summary/Diphenhydramine-Hydrochloride–diphenhydramine-hydrochloride-1140
Vicks®. (n.d.). Vicks History. Retrieved from Vicks®: https://vicks.com/en-us
Vicks®. (n.d.). ZzzQuil™ Warming Berry Liquid. Retrieved from Vicks®: https://vicks.com/en-us/shop-products/zzzquil-sleep-aid/zzzquil-warming-berry-liquid
WebMD. (n.d.). Zzzquil. Retrieved from WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-161075/zzzquil-oral/details#side-effects