Flu, Flu Stay Away, Come On Back Some Other Day

I've always been amused by Airborne, a product that had been marketed as preventing colds while traveling. Recently the company that sells this "immune system helper" apparently lost a lawsuit for deceptive advertising. Since then, they've also changed the package art. The new package is very similar to the old package with the major differences that the product is now identified as a dietary supplement and the happy germ-like creatures on the top of the box are now gone. Of course, the fellow in the plane in the foreground who was looking worriedly up where the germs used to be, now looks like he's beseeching a higher being before his plane takes off. All the people around him that were exhibiting various viral symptoms are now all happy campers completely unconcerned with whatever is bothering Mr. Nervous Nelly.

My favorite thing about the whole Airborne product concept was the catch phrase 'created by a school teacher!' I love this. It's so much more reassuring then a "immune system helper" that was created by a carpenter or thrown together by a cub scout troop in Wyoming. A school teacher! People who go into education deserve my admiration for doing something I try and avoid like the plague, like interacting with children and teaching hygiene. But really, does the fact that a school teacher developed this product imbue one with confidence? I don't think I would be as confident with flying with an airline that employed police officers as pilots, no matter how much I admire cops. But then again we are talking about a product that is the modern incarnation of the old snake oil nostrums.