Ventolin: a market icon

ABSTRACT The present article develops the specific case of Ventolin, a medication that has achieved iconic market status by virtue of its fifty years of existence, the attributes of the object that dispenses it (the inhaler), its consumers (asthmatics), and the brand itself. We start by situating Ventolin’s birth in the historical context of the search for asthma remedies. We then discuss how the Ventolin inhaler went from problematizing the bravery of asthmatics by symbolizing weakness and cowardice to becoming an emblem of villainy thanks to the association with Darth Vader. We conclude by discussing the hijacking of this medication brand and the role of materiality in that process.