There is a certain irony in a pain reliever company telling people to stop doing the things that cause them pain, but Advil appears unbothered by the paradox.

The brand, which is reportedly the best-selling pain reliever in the United States, is introducing a campaign called "Rewriting Pain" that takes direct aim at the "no pain, no gain" philosophy that has echoed through gymnasiums and locker rooms for generations. The effort, timed to the growing anticipation around the 2026 World Cup, features Jozy Altidore, the forward for the United States Men's National Team, as its spokesman.

"Sports is one great place to do that, but it's really a message that resonates broadly," said Natalie Halpern, Advil's senior director of marketing. "For all of us, pain is a signal. If we recognize it, treat it, and confront it, we'll come back stronger."

The campaign is grounded in research commissioned by the company, which surveyed 1,000 current and former athletes who have competed at the collegiate, club, or recreational level. According to the findings, 79 percent of respondents said phrases like "push through the pain" encouraged them to ignore what their bodies were telling them, and more than 80 percent said they had continued playing while injured because winning felt more important. (One imagines the remaining 20 percent were in too much pain to complete the survey.)

Ms. Halpern said the brand is not concerned that encouraging people to stop at the first twinge might reduce demand for its core product. "We know pain is going to happen," she said. "It's inevitable."

Advil is owned by Haleon, the consumer health company that also markets Panadol and Voltaren, giving it a stake in multiple approaches to pain management. Ms. Halpern said the company thinks about pain "holistically," a word that once belonged to yoga instructors but has since migrated to corporate marketing departments.

The primary goal, she said, is "a shift in narrative." Whether athletes who have spent their careers being told to walk it off will heed advice from an ibuprofen brand remains to be seen — but at least no one can say they weren't warned.

Original story published in MediaPost: "With 'No Pain, More Gain,' Advil Rewrites Sports' Worst Advice"