VICKS Blue lozenges

Product and category

VICKS Blue is the branded menthol cough lozenge (VapoPlus / VapoDrops style menthol pastilles) marketed as a cooling menthol cough drop. (wick-hustenbonbons.de)

Manufacturing and distribution

In Europe and Russia VICKS cough drops (including the Blue variant) are manufactured and marketed under an exclusive, perpetual licence held by Katjes Fassin GmbH + Co. KG — production and distribution for those markets is carried out in Germany. This European licence and the local production arrangement explain the German-made packaging and the polar-bear imagery used in recent European campaigns. (katjes.com)

Globally, VICKS products can be produced in multiple locations (historically produced in the US and other regional facilities), so availability and the exact manufacturing site may vary by market and SKU. For the Blue lozenges shown, the packaging style matches products primarily produced for the European market. (wick-hustenbonbons.de)

Brand origin and ownership

VICKS originated in the United States (founded by pharmacist Lunsford Richardson; the VapoRub and related remedies date back to the early 1900s). (en.wikipedia.org)

The VICKS brand is ultimately owned by The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), which acquired Richardson-Vicks in the 1980s; however, product-line licensing (for example Katjes for cough drops in Europe/Russia) means local manufacturers may produce and distribute specific VICKS SKUs under licence. (mergr.com)

How this applies to the pictured item

The pictured metallic-blue pack with the polar bear and the text "Blue — with cooling menthol" matches the standard VICKS Blue menthol lozenge packaging sold in European markets under Katjes' licence. Based on public licensing and company production information, these lozenges are primarily manufactured in Germany for Europe, while the VICKS brand itself is American and owned by P&G.