Robitussin Hacks Subway Takes Episode for #CommuterCoughs Debate

Jan. 19, 2026

VML hacked an episode of Subway Takes, the NYC subway interview series hosted by Kareem Rahma, to dive into a hotly debated topic: coughing on the subway for its client Robitussin.#CommuterCoughs highlights the post-holiday reality: if you’re coughing, it's time to call in sick.

With respiratory illness spiking across the country, shared-air spaces feel extra intense, and nowhere is that truer than a packed subway car. The newest episode asks commuters for their hottest takes on public transit coughing, and they didn’t hold back. Expect everything from serious side-eye and genuine empathy to strict etiquette rules and the kind of blunt honesty you only hear underground. Robitussin pops in as that little bit of relief amid the shared-air chaos, with a savings offer tied to the content. 

VML Commerce’s challenge for Robitussin was to re-establish cultural relevance and drive brand growth during their critical cold, cough, and flu season. As a brand renowned for fast and powerful cough relief, our objective was to strategically own the "cough" conversation and ensure Robitussin was top-of-mind when it mattered most.

VML uncovered a potent insight: while individuals often don't register their own average of 18 coughs per day, the dynamic entirely shifts in public, shared spaces. Nowhere is this more evident than on the subway, where shared air transforms a minor personal cough into a noticeable event that elicits immediate reactions and opinions from fellow commuters.

This insight sparked the campaign: "Commuter Coughs with Subway Takes." VML leveraged the subway's unique environment – a genuine petri dish of public opinion and shared experience – to disrupt the conversation around coughing, effectively hacking cultural discourse and positioning Robitussin at its very centre.