Vicks’ Touch of Care Campaign

Executive Summary

The Vicks’ “Touch of Care” campaign is one of the most acclaimed purpose-driven campaigns in India, repositioning the brand from a household cold-relief medicine to a symbol of empathy and inclusive care. First launched in 2017, the campaign went beyond product messaging to tell deeply emotional human stories—starting with the life of Gauri Sawant, a transgender activist who raised her adopted daughter Gayatri. Later films highlighted the struggles of a child with a rare skin condition and honored a doctor who sacrificed his life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This case study examines the campaign through a media and communication research lens, analyzing its objectives, storytelling strategies, media execution, consumer response, business impact, and critical challenges. The study also identifies best practices for building emotional, socially relevant brand narratives that transcend transactional communication and inspire cultural conversations.

The campaign has been recognized globally as a best practice in brand storytelling, demonstrating how emotionally resonant, purpose-driven narratives can significantly strengthen brand equity, consumer trust, and business performance.

Introduction & Background

About Vicks

Vicks, owned by Procter & Gamble (P&G), is one of the world’s most recognizable consumer healthcare brands. For over 100 years, it has been synonymous with relief from colds, coughs, and congestion. In India, Vicks became a household name, trusted by generations. However, by the mid-2010s, the brand faced two challenges:

1. Category commoditization – Cold relief and OTC healthcare products were becoming functional and undifferentiated.
2. Shifting consumer expectations – Millennials and Gen Z valued brand purpose and emotional authenticity alongside product performance.

Why “Touch of Care”?

Instead of focusing solely on product benefits, P&G and Publicis Singapore (its creative partner) repositioned Vicks around “care” as an emotional brand core. The idea was to connect the long-standing product proposition of “soothing relief” with a broader, more powerful narrative—care that transcends boundaries of gender, family structures, and social stigma.

Thus, the “Touch of Care” campaign was born—a narrative journey told through films, each highlighting a true story of unconventional caregiving.

Campaign Objectives & Strategy

The campaign’s objectives went beyond sales uplift to focus on brand equity transformation:

1. Reinforce Emotional Brand Equity
   • Shift from a medicinal functional brand to a purpose-driven emotional brand.
   • Anchor Vicks as synonymous with “care” in every sense.
2. Resonate with New-Age Consumers
   • Build relevance with younger audiences (millennials, Gen Z) who expect authenticity, inclusivity, and social consciousness from brands.
3. Create Shareable, Viral Narratives
   • Develop digital-first films that could spark conversations and encourage organic sharing.
4. Align with Brand Purpose Globally
   • Ensure Vicks’ positioning of “care” was consistent with global brand values, but localized with Indian socio-cultural realities.
5. Drive Long-Term Loyalty
   • Establish an emotional bond strong enough to build enduring trust, not just short-term sales spikes.

Creative Concept & Storytelling Approach

Each film in the campaign series told a true story of extraordinary care, framed around inclusivity, resilience, and empathy.

2017 – Generations of Care

• Storyline: Life of Gauri Sawant, a transgender woman who adopted and raised Gayatri, the daughter of a sex worker.
• Message: Motherhood is not biological—it is defined by care, love, and sacrifice.
• Impact: A groundbreaking portrayal of transgender motherhood in Indian advertising.

2018/2019 – One in a Million

• Storyline: Adoption of Nisha, a girl with the rare skin condition ichthyosis, who was abandoned as a child but found unconditional love in her adoptive family.
• Message: Every child deserves care, regardless of physical differences.
• Impact: Expanded inclusivity by focusing on disability and acceptance.

2021 – Care Lives On

• Storyline: Tribute to Dr. Dnyaneshwar Bhosale, a doctor who lost his life during COVID-19. Vicks pledged to support the completion of a children’s hospital in his memory.
• Message: Care is eternal, and the legacy of those who give selflessly lives on.
• Impact: Aligned the brand with pandemic realities, honoring frontline heroes.

Storytelling Techniques

• Minimal branding – Vicks product placement was subtle.
• Human-first narrative – The story was always central, not the product.
• Cinematic production – High-quality short films with emotional arcs.
• Relatable triggers – Motherhood, resilience, sacrifice—universal emotional hooks.

Media & Communication Strategy

The campaign followed a digital-first, earned-media-led strategy:

1. Digital Launch (YouTube & Social Media)
   • Primary channel for all films, optimized for shareability.
   • Content pushed via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
2. Strategic Timing
   • 2017 film launched on International Women’s Day.
   • 2021 film released around National Doctors’ Day.
3. Amplification via Earned Media
   • Extensive coverage in press, blogs, and online publications.
   • Shared widely by influencers, activists, and thought leaders.
4. Minimal Paid Media
   • Relied heavily on organic virality, not heavy ad spends.
5. Integration with CSR
   • P&G tied real action with storytelling (e.g., support for children’s hospital in 2021).

Consumer Response & Impact

The campaign struck a deep chord with audiences across India and beyond.

• Virality & Engagement
  • 2017 film: 4M+ views in first 48 hours.
  • 2021 film: 30M+ views in 10 days.
• Sentiment
  • Overwhelmingly positive reactions, with thousands of organic shares and comments appreciating inclusivity and empathy.
• Social Conversations
  • Sparked debates on gender identity, adoption, inclusivity, and healthcare heroes.
• Audience Segments Impacted
  • Urban youth → saw Vicks as a progressive, empathetic brand.
  • Parents → resonated with adoption and family values.
  • LGBTQ+ community → appreciated representation.

Business Outcomes & Brand Metrics

1. Brand Recall & Equity
   • Significant uplift in brand recall (+8%).
   • Strengthened Vicks’ positioning as a brand built on “care.”
2. Sales Impact
   • Reports suggested sales increased by 23% in the quarter following the campaign launch.
3. Awards & Recognition
   • Effie Awards
   • Kyoorius Creative Awards
   • International recognition in advertising festivals.
4. Long-Term Brand Loyalty
   • Campaign established Vicks as not just a cold-relief brand, but a cultural voice for empathy and inclusivity.

Critical Evaluation & Challenges

Despite success, the campaign also faced critiques:

• Narrative Limitations: Some scholars argued that the transgender representation still leaned on “respectability politics”, portraying caregiving as the only socially acceptable narrative for trans identities.
• Risk of Over-Emotionalization: Excessive emotional storytelling risks being perceived as “emotional exploitation” if not balanced with authentic action.
• Sustainability Question: Repeated reliance on emotionally heavy stories raises concerns of audience fatigue.

Best Practices & Learnings for Media & Communication Research

From the Vicks case, we can distill nine best practices:

1. Anchor campaigns in real, true stories for authenticity.
2. Shift from product-centric to human-centric communication.
3. Leverage universal emotional triggers (care, sacrifice, love).
4. Adopt digital-first launches for organic virality.
5. Use minimal branding—let the story lead, product follow.
6. Tie CSR commitments to campaigns to enhance credibility.
7. Time launches around socially resonant events/days.
8. Amplify through earned media and influencer networks.
9. Continuously evolve narratives to avoid fatigue and broaden inclusivity.

Conclusion & Way Forward

The Vicks “Touch of Care” campaign is a landmark example of how purpose-driven storytelling can redefine a brand’s identity, making it culturally relevant while delivering measurable business impact.

For the future, the challenge lies in broadening inclusivity beyond isolated cases, maintaining authenticity, and ensuring the campaign evolves into a sustainable movement. The learnings from Vicks provide a blueprint for global brands seeking to transition from transactional advertising to emotionally resonant, socially conscious communication.

References / Sources

• Adgully: From a Campaign to a Movement: How Vicks’ Touch of Care is Changing Lives (2021)
• Social Samosa: Behind the Scenes: Vicks’ Touch of Care Campaign (2021)
• SCORE India: PR Campaign Case Study – Vicks Touch of Care (2019)
• Campaigns of the World: Vicks Touch of Care – One in a Million (2018)
• IJCRT Journal (2025): Brand Activism & Consumer Purchasing Intentions: Case of Vicks
• Shodh Vichar Journal: Transnormativity and Media Narratives in Vicks’ Campaign
• Scribd: DSMM Vicks Case Study Report