Colita de Rana
Colita de rana or “little frog’s tail” is phrase in a Mexican nursery rhyme that’s sung to comfort little children when they are sick or hurt.
“Sana sana colita de rana,
Si no sana hoy, sanará mañana.”
It means “Heal, heal, little frog’s tail, if it doesn’t heal today, it will heal tomorrow.”
Colita de Rana and VapoRub go together like salsa and tacos. Not only do they make you feel better, they can also fix anything. Combining creates a powerful salve with the power to cure everything under the sun.
Magical Realism
Magical realism is deeply rooted in Hispanic culture. It happens when something marvelous and impossible happens in ordinary life. The alchemy of rana de colita and VapoRub is magical realism at its finest.
Ponte Vaporu
A common tongue-in-cheek expression amongst Mexicans is “Ponte Viporu”. It means “put Vaporub on it”. VapoRub humor, jokes, tweets and memes abound and are shared across all ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles. Fondly referred to as “Vipuru”, Vicks VapoRub. has become a beloved common denominator for Mexians of all ages. It is in every Mexican’s medicine cabinet across the United States, Mexico, and every other Spanish speaking country.
The Journey of VapoRub
Surprisingly enough, Vicks VapoRub was invented in Greensboro, North Carolina in the 1890’s. It was originally marketed to traditional middle-income Anglo-American wives with children living a modern early suburban lifestyle. In other words, Vicks VaporRub was not created for Hispanics. So, distribution began in Mexico it wasn’t advertised or marketed to them. However, VapoRub had a product attribute with a strong cultural attraction. It was the scent of eucalyptus. Common homemade Mexican medicinal remedies contained eucalyptus and other herbs with similar aromas. VapoRub was affordable and easily accessible for Mexicans. Because of a tightly woven sense of family and community is a hallmark of Hispanic culture, VapoRub quickly spread from home to home throughout Mexico and beyond.* From there on, Mexicans took over the brand and made it their own.
Culture is Strong Medicine
It wasn’t long before VapoRub belonged to Mexicans and they gave it a new and unintended meaning. This mysictal salve evoked powerful memories and emotions, and for Mexicans, the smell of VapoRub was like a potion that created strong feelings and emotions. Suddely they experienced of being back their childhood home where they had been and comforted by their mothers. Those who moved far away tell of times when missing home, they opened a jar of VapoRub just to smell it and feel like they were home again.
The Little Blue Jar
The now famous little blue jar of eucalyptus-scented ointment has come to embody the heart and soul of Mexicans. From generation to generation, VapoRub has remained a beloved legacy brand. Few brands have become carried forward in culture like VapoRub. If Hispanics have anything to say about it (and they do) VapoRub will be here for many generations to come.
*. Because P&G now owns Vicks Vaprub, sales numbers are not available. But, here’s clue: in 1985 P&G bought VapoRub for 1.2 Billon (which today would be nearly 4 billion). Plus, Vick is currently the #1 globally selling brand in its category.
