VIN MARIANI was a tonic wine and
patent medicine which was made from Bordeaux wine and coca leaves created in
1863 by Angelo Mariani, a French chemist from Corsica. The ethanol in the wine
acted as a solvent which extracted the cocaine from the coca leaves thus altering
the drink’s effects. It was exported with 7.2mg of cocaine per fluid ounce to
compete with the higher cocaine content of similar drinks in the United States.
Advertisements for Vin Mariani claimed that it would restore health, strength,
energy and vitality.
Vin Mariani was a massive hit. Mariani’s wine
and coca tonic took his home city of Paris by storm, and then, the rest of
Europe and the U.S. Seizing on the opportunity, Mariani opened offices in
London, New York and Montreal. To support demand for his product in the U.S. he
opened a second laboratory in New York. Vin Mariani had many competitors and
imitators, but a shrewd celebrity-driven marketing campaign earned him millions of dollars worth of
sales. While Mariani’s ads claimed that thousands of doctors endorsed the
product, it was the celebrity endorsers who really pushed the elixir. The ads
he ran in newspapers and magazines featured countless politicians, actors,
writers and religious leaders, all extolling the many virtues of Vin Mariani.
Devotees of the drink included Alexander Dumas, Emile Zola, Presidents William
McKinley and Ulysses S. Grant, and countless monarchs including Queen Victoria
of England. In addition, actress Sarah Bernhardt and Pope Leo XIII, who gave
him a Gold Medal, were among the many who actually appeared in advertisements.
I think, considering the content’s, it’s no surprise that the product was so
popular!
Eventually these kind of drinks were banned which led to the invention of drinks like Coca Cola which originally contained some cocaine.
I'm listening to The Rolling Stones version of Jimmy Reed's Honest I Do from their first album. It's much-recorded song but I think their version stands up well to the others. Listen HERE.
14 comments:
Hello Bazza, When you read what went into the food, drink and medicine of that age, it is a wonder that any of us at all are here today. Especially heart-rending are the opiated "baby killers" like Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup. And even food that wasn't actually poisoned or drugged was heavily adulterated in other ways.
--Jim
Hi Bazza - fascinating ... I had never heard of it - but can see the attraction it obviously gained - then increasing sales with the popular celebrity vote. I love the poster in Wiki ... very bright and cheerful - and appropriate to the age. Loved reading about it - cheers Hilary
Funny that the Pope endorsed the wine. Must've been good!
What strange elixirs and cures we used to embrace! One of my "favorites" is the tobacco smoke enema.
I would have tried this medicine, just on the basis of Alexander Dumas, Emile Zola and Sarah Bernhardt's endorsements alone :)
But it reminds me of doctors recommending smoking because the cigarettes cleared the lungs!!
Hi bazza,
Amazing what used to be regarded as healthy. It kind of reminded me of my dad telling me that when he was young and in the army he had to go into hospital for something, and the first thing they gave him was a bottle of Guinness and a cigarette!
Best Wishes,
David
Jim: And for a long time it was all perfectly legal! I found plenty of other product available, even some aimed at children.
Hilary: At first it's amusing and it gradually becomes jaw-dropping as one realise exactly what's being offered...
Sherry: The Pope probably didn't realise that he was getting high!
Susan. I phoned the Tobacco Smoke Enema helpline for advice once. They're very rude aren't they?
Hels: That's right! I'm sure Marlborough were endorsed by doctors at one time. The whole celebrity endorsement nonsense is still as strong as ever. It must work!
David: And the Royal Navy still had a daily rum issue well into last century (I have just checked - until 1970!) My father has said that he didn't smoke until he was in the army.
Google must have eaten my comment I posted yesterday. Hopefully, I will do better today.
I remember when LSD was being promoted by celebrities back in the 60’s. It was going to be the next best thing.
Arleen: But were those celebrities being featured in conventional advertising? Probably not.
But with people like Timothy Leary promoting drugs I suppose they didn't need ads!
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