Anacin was invented by William Milton Knight and was first estimated to be used in 1916 as stated in the patent. Anacin is one of the oldest brands of pain relievers in the United States, first beginning sales in the 1930s. Anacin's mascot at the time was Ana Anacin, who was found in a number of ads of this product. Anacin is one of the earliest and best examples of a concerted television marketing campaign created for them in the late 1950s by Rosser Reeves of the Ted Bates ad agency.