“Bares for Rares”: That’s why the cough drops in Germany had to be renamed

“Bares for Rares”
Vick would have been a scandal: that’s why the cough drops in Germany had to be renamed

The billboard for a well-known cough drop was for sale at “Bares for Rares”. Expert Sven Deutschmanek tells an interesting story about the product – and why it couldn’t be called Vick in Germany.

“But that’s a pretty old billboard,” says Horst Lichter when entering the “Bares for Rares” studio. A garage find that Maria Luise Tomschi and her daughter Gabriele Emde want to monetize on the ZDF junk show.

Sven Deutschmanek is in top form with his subsequent expertise. “As you can see, this is a cough drop advertisement,” he introduces his presentation, which contains some interesting details. The product was introduced in Germany under the name Wick. But the brand actually comes from the USA, where it was founded in the 19th century by the pharmacist Lunsford Richardson as “Vick’s” – in honor of his brother-in-law Joshua W. Vick.

“Bares for Rares”: Sven Deutschmanek’s enlightening expertise

In America the brand name wasn’t a problem, but in Germany a product that was pronounced “Fick” would not have been conveyable – so the V was changed to a W and Wick was born. “If you had said, take a fuck candy, then everyone would have looked stupid,” explains Deutschmanek. In 1964, the first large cough drop factory was established – in Groß-Gerau, not far from where the two saleswomen lived in Hesse.

Gabriele Emde would like 50 euros for the Wick advertisement. The expert goes over it: Sven Deutschmanek thinks 80 to 100 euros is possible. And the advertising board is also well received in the dealership: the desired price of the two ladies was reached with the first bid. But it even gets three digits: Steve Mandel is awarded the contract for 130 euros. “You really don’t see it that often,” says the dealer, pleased about his purchase.

source: “Bares for Rares” in the ZDF media library

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