Butter-Menthol has been caring for Australian families for more than 70 years.
Starting out as ‘Allen’s cough drops’ in 1938, they became ‘Allens Butter-Menthol Cough Drops’ until they were purchased by Nestle in 1985 – and the rest as they say, is history.
It is thought that the very first cough drops emerged in the 1800s. It was an era when menthol and eucalyptus were widely used as remedies against cough and cold symptoms, and boiled sweets were popular treats of the time.
The idea to create sweet cough drops containing menthol and eucalyptus were an instant hit with people. They were easy to prepare in local kitchens and gave people a cough and cold remedy in an easy-to-carry lozenge for the first time.
In 1930s, the original Butter-Menthol cough drop recipe was born. At the time, butter was considered a health booster and menthol a well-known remedy against coughs, sore throats and runny noses. And so the unique cough drop formula combining medicated benefits with a comforting taste came to be. The Butter-Menthol lozenges became so popular, they managed to survive the sweets rationing of World War II, and have been well-loved by generations of Australian families ever since.
For over 70 years, Australians have been able to easily identify Butter-Menthol by its iconic colourful tartan that has been featured on its packaging since 1938.
Since the advent of advertising, we have seen many iconic Butter-Menthol TV commercials too – like the 1983 ‘when a croak gets beyond a joke’ commercial. This long running and well-remembered ad campaign featured a boat full of navy ‘frogmen’ whose ‘croak’ could only be fixed by a soothing Butter-Menthol.
Later, to better serve Australian families, Butter-Menthol expanded with a range of medicated lozenges to suit different individual needs. Australian families could now choose from a diversity of products including Butter-Menthol Original, Butter-Menthol Honey-Centre, Butter-Menthol Liquid-Centres with Honey and Lemon, and Butter-Menthol Cough and Congestion Relief.
As the brand evolved, so did the advertising – from ‘we’ve got sore throats covered’ to ‘just like a hug from mum’, Butter-Menthol became further embedded in the hearts of Australians, as well as their medicine cabinets.
Recently, the ads have featured the famous Butter-Menthol tartan on a vibrant colourful scarf, symbolically bringing to life the comfort and warmth Butter-Menthol brings on its mission to ‘take care of sore throats’ for Australian families all over the nation.
