Marketing Lessons from Tylenol's Autism Controversy
- Vincent Grippi
- Oct 22
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 22
What happens when the go-to brand for headaches is forced to deal with one of its own?
Welcome back to Brand Studies, where I turn other brands’ marketing into lessons for yours.
And today we’re breaking down Tylenol’s response to the White House's claims that its product may be tied to autism.
Before I go any further, I’d like to make this really clear: I’m not here to chat politics or offer medical advice.
The purpose of this piece is to focus on Tylenol’s marketing challenges and how they’re handling them. So, if you’re looking for anything other than that, look elsewhere.
Ok, let’s get into it.
The History of Tylenol's Autism Controversy
For more than 70 years, Johnson & Johnson - and now its spinoff, Kenvue - have built Tylenol into one of the most trusted names in consumer health, bringing in about $1 billion in annual sales.
Today, Tylenol is virtually synonymous with acetaminophen and is famously marketed as "the number 1 doctor-recommended pain reliever for headaches and fevers for people of all ages."
But one of the most distinguished parts of Tylenol’s reputation is that acetaminophen is the most commonly recommended option for fevers and pain relief in pregnant women. That’s because alternatives, like aspirin and ibuprofen carry higher risks.
But in recent years, this reputation has come under mounting scrutiny. Starting in the 2010s, observational studies began linking prenatal acetaminophen use to autism and ADHD. By 2022, those studies opened the door to a wave of lawsuits, most of which were dismissed because there simply wasn’t enough science to prove causation.
But in September 2025, the controversy hit a fever pitch - pun intended - when both the President and the FDA issued sharp warnings about a possible link between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism. The FDA announced it will be updating labels on all acetaminophen products, to warn of possible neurological risks tied to use during pregnancy.
The President, on the other hand, was a little more urgent about it, sharing even sharper warnings against Tylenol on Truth Social. What’s significant here, is that he’s not calling out acetaminophen, but the Tylenol brand in particular.
The Aftermath of the Tylenol Announcement
As you’d expect, the impact from the announcement played out with more dramatic ups and downs than a Hallmark movie.
When word got out about the planned announcement, Kenvue’s stock fell 17%. The day after the announcement, it dropped another 7%, marking a record low for the company. Shares did see a partial rebound the next day, but has been volatile since.
Meanwhile, on Google, searches related to Tylenol causing autism skyrocketed to an all-time high.
On social media, reactions ranged from people slamming the brand to a micro-trend of pregnant women filming themselves taking Tylenol to push back on the White House’s claims.
Despite the commotion, Tylenol managed to generate over 9,000 new followers on Instagram and over 5,000 on Facebook since the announcement.
As is tradition in the U.S., where there’s a headline there’s a lawsuit. The Tylenol announcement quickly sparked an uptick in legal activity around Kenvue. These include new filings, attempts to resuscitate old ones, and a flood of inquiries that basically boil down to, “I took Tylenol once, can I sue?”
The timing couldn’t be worse for Kenvue. The company’s been struggling with weak sales and just lost its CEO back in July. In short, this controversy hit a company that was already hurting.
While the blowback hasn’t been pretty, to say the least, it could’ve been a lot worse. And Tylenol knows this, because, well, they’ve been there before...
Tylenol 1982 Cyanide Crisis
In 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking extra-strength Tylenol pills that had been tampered with and laced with cyanide.
Overnight, the once trusted brand became a horror story.
In response, J&J was quick to act: They pulled 31 million bottles off shelves, warned the public not to take Tylenol, and cooperated fully with authorities throughout their investigation. As a result, Tylenol’s share of the pain-relief market plummeted from 35% to 8%.
Months later, Tylenol relaunched with the first major rollout of tamper-evident packaging, backed by national press conferences and a PR campaign centered around safety and transparency.
Although it took some time, Tylenol’s comeback strategy helped them successfully claw their way back to a 30% share of the pain reliever market. To this day, Tylenol’s response stands as the gold standard of brand crisis management.
Misinformation and Mistrust in Healthcare
Fast-forward to 2025, and the world looks completely different. We’ve got social media, AI, and deep political divides, all of which fuel 2 critical challenges facing U.S. healthcare today: misinformation and mistrust.
In 2025, only 53% of Americans say they trust their doctors - and just 34% actually turn to them for health information.
Politicians fare even worse. Roughly seven in ten Americans say they don’t trust health information from government leaders, regardless of party.
So, where do people turn instead? Social media. It’s now the leading source of health advice in the U.S., with 52% - 55% of Americans getting their information there.
And that’s where it all starts to spiral. The same platforms people rely on are packed with misinformation - and it spreads at rates impossible to keep up with. The more it spreads, so does the mistrust.
For Tylenol, that’s a crisis you can’t fix with a product recall or tamper-proof packaging.
How Tylenol's Marketing is Responding to the Autism Controversy
While Tylenol can’t resort to the same tactics that worked back in the ’80s, it’s applying the same principles in response to its latest crisis…
Proactive and Timely Stance
Kenvue’s interim CEO, Kirk Perry, met with HHS Secretary RFK Jr. just days before the press conference, urging him not to claim Tylenol use is linked to autism. Perry emphasized there’s no science proving a causal link. Unfortunately for Tylenol, this attempt at being proactive didn’t work, since RFK Jr. went through with the announcement.
Tylenol wasn’t caught off guard, however. Its website FAQ was updated ahead of the announcement to reassure consumers their product does not cause autism.
Unlike in the ’80s, when they pulled all advertising, Tylenol doubled down, launching digital ads the day after the press conference. Each one underscores what the brand’s built its reputation on: being the number 1 pain reliever trusted by doctors and families.
Of course, these aren’t the only ads about Tylenol out there. Law firms are running ads fishing for lawsuits, and somehow Etsy sellers are running ads for Tylenol earrings. So yeah, with so much noise around the controversy, Tylenol’ is smart to use ads that reinforce its reputation. The real question is whether its message can actually cut through.
Empathy & Open Communication
Instead of turning the crisis into a spectacle or getting defensive, Tylenol’s taking a page from its own 1982 playbook, responding with empathy and open communication.
They’ve been putting out social posts that address the autism allegations head-on, using a calm, understanding tone. On social media, the brand has been actively replying to concerned users, inviting them to call Tylenol directly to talk through their questions.
Tylenol’s also tackling the issue on its website, where it links to statements from credible medical organizations reaffirming that there’s no proven connection between acetaminophen and autism. In those same resources, the brand reiterates the same guidance that has been on their labels forever: “If pregnant or breast-feeding, talk to your healthcare professional before use.”
Consistent Messaging
In 1982, Tylenol stayed consistent in its message: the product was safe, the company was in control, and public safety came first. That same discipline is showing up again in 2025. Across social media, its website, and other platforms, Tylenol’s message hasn’t changed - there’s no proven link between acetaminophen and autism, and pregnant or breast-feeding women should always consult their doctor before use.
However, this has been met with some controversy...
In 2017, Tylenol replied to a now-deleted tweet saying it didn’t recommend using its products during pregnancy. Recently, this reply has been resurfaced by the White House and spread around social media without context.
Kenvue responded by pointing out that the post lacked context and that it still reiterated its traditional guidance, the same one that has been on its labels for decades.
Tylenol's Long Road Ahead
Crisis management in 2025 doesn’t look anything like it did in 1982. But many of the principles that worked back then still hold up and Tylenol’s using some of them in how it’s responding to its latest crisis.
Still, no matter how strong your strategy is, mistrust isn’t a problem you can fix overnight, especially in the age of social media and AI, where information and opinions spread fast.
This story’s far from over, but in the meantime, Tylenol’s doing all the right things - but only time will tell if it’s enough.
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