Alka-Seltzer

Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid and pain reliever first marketed by the Dr. Miles Medicine Company. It was developed by Treneer^[1] in Elkhart Indiana.^[2] Alka-Seltzer is marketed for relief of minor aches, pains, inflammation, fever, headache, heartburn, sour stomach, indigestion, and hangovers, while neutralizing excess stomach acid.^[2] It was launched in 1931.^[3]

Alka-Seltzer is currently owned by Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany. The name "Alka-Seltzer" has been extended to incorporate an entire line of medications sold over the counter and taken by means of rapidly dissolving tablets that form a carbonated solution in water.

Cherry Alka Seltzer Plus Tablet dissolving in water

Product information

At the current time, Alka-Seltzer comes in foil packets, each containing two tablets. Prior to 1984, it was also available in long glass tubes.^[4] It comes in various flavors.

Alka-Seltzer Gold is a combination of sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, and anhydrous citric acid, used for the relief of heartburn, acid indigestion, and sour stomach. Unlike original blue Alka-Seltzer, Alka-Seltzer Gold does not contain aspirin, or any other pain reliever.

It was once marketed as something of a cure-all; at one time, its ads even suggested taking it for "the blahs". Subsequent promotion has taken into consideration that aspirin is a drug that is not tolerated by everyone, and the product is no longer advertised in this fashion. Alka-Seltzer should not be used for heartburn without pain, due to the aspirin content of the product.^[5]

Chemistry of the effervescence

Though important to the overall effect of the medication, the aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) does not contribute to the effervescent action of Alka-Seltzer; the effervescence is produced by the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and citric acid reacting to form sodium citrate and carbon dioxide gas.

C6H8O7(aq)	+	3NaHCO3(aq)	→	3H2O(l)	+	3CO2(g)	+	Na3C6H5O7(aq)
citric acid	+	sodium bicarbonate	→	water	+	carbon dioxide	+	sodium citrate

Marketing

The product has been extensively advertised since its launch in the U.S. Print advertising was utilized immediately, and in 1932 the radio show Alka-Seltzer Comedy Star of Hollywood began, with National Barn Dance following in 1933, along with many more.^[2] The radio sponsorships continued into the 1950s, ending with the Alka-Seltzer Time show.

Two years after its launch came the repeal of Prohibition in the US, and Alka-Seltzer became Miles' new flagship product, displacing Miles Nervine Tonic.^[2]

In 1951, the "Speedy" character was introduced. Created by George Pal of the Wade Ad Agency as Sparky, the name was changed to Speedy by a sales manager to promote that year's promotional theme of "Speedy Relief". He appeared in over 200 TV commercials between 1954 and 1964. Speedy's body was one Alka-Seltzer tablet, while he wore another as a hat; he proclaimed Alka-Seltzer's virtues and sang the "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" song in his high, squeaky voice (provided by voice actor Dick Beals).^[4] In December 2010, Alka-Seltzer began a series of new commercials featuring Speedy, using CGI effects to recreate the stop-motion puppetry of the 1950s and 1960s, with Speedy now voiced by a woman, Debi Derryberry.

Alka Seltzer Plus packaging and tablet

TV commercials

Alka-Seltzer TV ads from the 1960s and 1970s were among the most popular ad campaigns of the 20th century, ranking number 13, according to Advertising Age. In an effort to increase sales in a relatively flat business, Bayer has revived several of the vintage spots.^[6]

• George Raft starred in the 1969 Alka-Seltzer commercial "The Unfinished Lunch." It consists of Raft incarcerated and in the prison lunchroom. He takes a bite of the awful prison food and recoils. Suddenly he bangs his cup on the steel table loudly in the lunchroom. It ripples throughout the room. He starts intoning "Alka Seltzer, Alka Seltzer..." Soon, the other hundreds of inmates do the same.
• An animated mid-1960s commercial, animated by R.O. Blechman, shows a man and his own stomach sitting opposite each other in chairs, having an argument moderated by their therapist in a voiceover.^[6] The stomach (voiced by Gene Wilder) accuses the man of purposely trying to irritate it. The man accuses his stomach of complaining too much about the foods he likes. The therapist suggests Alka-Seltzer, and further suggests that the two must take care of each other. The closing words are of the stomach saying to the man: "Well, I'll try - if you will". It is not known who did the voiceover for the therapist.
• Alka-Seltzer had a series of commercials during the mid-1960s that utilized a song called "No Matter What Shape Your Stomach's In," a different version of which was recorded by the T-Bones and was released as a single, which became a hit in 1966. The ads were unique in that they featured only the mid-sections (no faces) of people of all shapes and sizes.
• In an Alka-Seltzer commercial from 1969, an actor (played by Jack Somack^[7]) in a commercial for the fictional product "Magdalini's Meatballs" has to eat a meatball and then say "Mamma mia, that's-a spicy meat ball-a!" in an ersatz Italian accent. Take after take is ruined by some comedic trial or another. By the commercial's end, "Jack" has eaten so many meatballs that it's "Alka Seltzer to the rescue". With his stomach settled, Jack does a perfect take, except that the oven door falls off. The director (off-camera) sighs and says, "OK, let's break for lunch."
• Another 1970 commercial shows a newlywed couple in the bedroom after his wife (played by Alice Playten) has finished serving him a giant dumpling; the implication is that her cooking skills are severely lacking. She lies on the bed in delusional triumph. She offers her beleaguered husband a heart-shaped meatloaf; he disappears to take some Alka-Seltzer. When she hears the fizzy noise coming from the bathroom, he quickly covers the glass of dissolving Alka-Seltzer as she wonders aloud if it is raining. Just when he has recovered his well-being, he hears her misreading recipes for dinner the next night: "Marshmallowed meatballs," and "pouched (actually poached) oysters". He returns to the bathroom for more Alka-Seltzer.
• A 1971 commercial featured the catch-phrase, "Try it, you'll like it!" It was remade with Kathy Griffin in 2006.^[6]
• In 1972, an actor spent the commercial moaning, "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!" while his wife made sarcastic comments and finally advised him to take some Alka-Seltzer.^[8] In 2005, this ad was also remade, featuring Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts from the 1996–2005 TV sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.^[6]
• Sammy Davis, Jr. recorded two versions of the famous "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz" jingle in 1978, one of which (the "big band" version) was featured on a television commercial. Both versions, the big band and rock versions, had additional lyrics (with at least one verse unique to each song) written by Tom Dawes, former lead singer of The Cyrkle.
• In 2009, the brand was featured in television commercials supporting the United States Ski Team that included alpine skier Lindsey Vonn and Nordic combined skier Bill Demong.

Popular culture

Alka-Seltzer is referenced in the track 'Supersonic' by British band Oasis_(band), with the lyrics I know a girl called Elsa, She's into Alka Seltzer, She sniffs it through a cane on a supersonic train.

On March 28, 2006, the 75th anniversary of Alka-Seltzer was celebrated in Las Vegas by a Guinness World Record–setting buffet, which included 510 items and was hosted by actress/comedian Kathy Griffin.^[9]

On March 22, 2003, Expedition Six NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit performed a series of microgravity experiments with water spheres and Alka-Seltzer, which were described as "effervescent antacid tablets".^[10]

Alka-Seltzer was mentioned by Metallica in Master of Puppets's leaflet. ^[11]

References

1. ^ http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/12926667.html
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Google Books, Sold on Radio: Advertisers in the Golden Age of Broadcasting By Jim Cox pp 197-199 ISBN 978-0-7864-3391-9 May 23, 2008
3. ^ The book of answers: the New York Public Library Telephone Reference Service's most unusual and entertaining questions By Barbara Berliner, Melinda Corey, George Ochoa. Simon and Schuster, 1992
4. ^ ^{a b} 75th Anniversary
5. ^ About Alka-Seltzer
6. ^ ^{a b c d} NYTimes June 19,2006
7. ^ Jack Somack - Other works
8. ^ Elliott, Stuart (2006-06-19). "Try It; You Liked It Once, and Alka-Seltzer Hopes You Do Again - New York Times". New York City: Nytimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/19/business/media/19adco.html?ex=1308369600&en=547d07b6d0bf4e89&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss. Retrieved 2010-12-30. 
9. ^ "http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/03-28-2006/0004328705&EDATE="
10. ^ "Expedition 6 Video Index". Spaceflight.nasa.gov. 2003-03-22. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/video/station/expedition6/category/ndxpage10.html. Retrieved 2010-12-30. 
11. ^ "http://www.chapinc.com/disco.php?recordID=14"

External links

• Official website