ROBITUSSIN: SUBWAY (COUGH) TAKES

2026 / Agency: VML / Role: Global ECD / Client: Haleon

Public transport users are 6x more likely to catch a cough during flu season, so Robitussin, the trusted fast-acting remedy, needed to reignite the conversation. We turned to the subway, where coughs are impossible to ignore, and integrated with Subway Takes, co-creating a custom episode with Kareem Rahma and Dan Rosen. It opened with a polarizing take—"If you have a cough, just call in sick"—before a sudden coughing fit cut the conversation short, leaving a take unfinished for the first time in the show's history. To keep the content native and non-intrusive, Robitussin appeared only in the episode caption, a subtle but visible connection. We then amplified the post with a shoppable link to turn viral engagement into real sales. As the debate took off in the comments, Robitussin joined the conversation, transforming shared air into shared relief.