Barf Bag

One ad exec explains: Dramamine’s The Last Barf Bag campaign offers a creative and unexpected way for the brand to reinforce the effectiveness of its products and its market-leading position in the US. According to Dramamine, it is the number one pharmacist-recommended brand for fighting motion sickness – making the brand somewhat of an authority figure of the subject and quietly confident in claiming that its effectiveness has been a factor in the demise of barf bags. One of the clever aspects of this campaign is that the pharmaceutical brand anchors the effectiveness of its nausea relief product against a much less pleasant alternative – being sick into a paper bag. For people who do get nauseous while travelling, especially on boats or airplanes, the sick bag provides a quick and convenient solution to those who need it. But it’s also an unpleasant, somewhat embarrassing and difficult-to-dispose-of option. By framing Dramamine in contrast to a grizzlier alternative, not only does the brand demonstrate its efficacy, but also makes a credible competitor appear worse in comparison.