Salonpas back on TV after a decade

The two ads, one featuring an office lady and the other a minibus driver, seek to raise awareness of Salonpas, with a light-hearted depiction of an aching muscle calling out repeatedly for the patch in a high-pitched voice. The TV campaign, which has been complemented with point-of-purchase promotions, will be supported by an outdoor bus campaign later in the month. The burst of advertising after years of almost no above-the-line marketing is believed to have been triggered by a change in regional management for the brand's owner, Japanese pharmaceutical group Hisamitsu. Salonpas is also launching new local executions in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines as part of a larger regional push.