As part of its Relief Is In Our Roots campaign, Vicks has donated 250 specially designed Heritage Blankets to five organisations across South Africa, with each organisation receiving 50 blankets.

Among the recipients was Merchants of Light in Johannesburg South, an NPO providing humanitarian aid to vulnerable communities.

Led by Catherine Constantinides, the organisation focuses on addressing poverty and inequity through acts of kindness such as distributing food, blankets and other essentials, and supporting initiatives like creating food gardens. Merchants of Light runs regular outreach programmes, particularly in Gauteng, to assist those in need.

The Vicks initiative, created in partnership with South African designer and illustrator Zinhle “Zee Feels” Sithebe, celebrates the deep emotional connection South Africans have with Vicks as a symbol of warmth, healing and family tradition.

The limited-edition blanket is a vibrant expression of South African identity, featuring cultural motifs such as the protea, springbok, mielie cob and the Vicks shield, woven together as a visual story of heritage and comfort.

Designer Zinhle Sithebe said: “The Heritage Blanket is a love letter to South Africa. A way to make care visible. To know that it’s now bringing comfort to people who need it most makes this collaboration even more meaningful.”

The campaign invited South Africans to share their own Vicks memories in three words, celebrating the ways the brand has become part of family life. The initiative reached over 32 million people and generated more than 245 000 social media interactions, reaffirming Vicks as a true South African heritage brand.

Through this blanket handover, Vicks continues to live its purpose of bringing relief, care and comfort where it’s needed most.