Monday, November 17, 2008

Hoopla Over Motrin Ad?

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As a baby wearer and a complete and utter advocate, I find it to be.......tell you later.

I want to hear your thoughts.....

16 comments:

Ash said...

Well - I don't think it paints slings in a very good light, but my question would be, what's the alternative? Because I'm pretty sure carrying a baby ANY WAY will give you a back/side/head ache in some form or fashion.

Not too wise a marketing move, in my opinion. Most moms these days are embracing this trend as they are educated to the benefits of wearing a sling. I could never get the hang of it with my 100%tile growth chart second kiddo, but I have plenty of friends that do enjoy it.

But your also hearing the opinion of one all-same-gender mom that is sick and tired of every company representing the American family as the one older boy/one younger girl sibling situation.

Interested to hear the rest of the opinions.

Em

The Life and Times of Poose and Hawk said...

I'm a little jaded-just spent four hours wearing, pushing and snuggling my babies through doctors' appts. And I have an eye splitting head ache. Maybe I should curse motrin while I use their product?

The Life and Times of Poose and Hawk said...

Did I mention that, yes, I was wearing BOTH of them?

Aubrey said...

Is this REALLY an ad out there? If so, wow.
I was never a baby wearing mama BUT I totally found this offensive. Wow.

Anonymous said...

I saw this on our local news website. My dh didn't get the controversy, but I can see it. IMO it makes it seem like moms (and dads!) who wear their babies are only doing it to look cool. I did it because it was easy, comfortable and cheap! (I made my own wrap) I think Motrin is either kicking themselves in the butt, or loving all the publicity the controversy is bringing them.

Amy said...

I never 'wore' my kids, but carrying them did hurt my back. I dont' get all the hoopla either.

Patty said...

This was quite interesting, I've never seen this ad. I think it's an ass-backwards advertisement. It's basically saying that slings are not good for you, they cause you pain (which Motrin will fix). But in making people believe sling-wearing is bad, then what happens when people stop wearing their babies and then have no need for Motrin for the muscle pains? Someone really screwed something up with this.

I can't see this ad lasting on the airwaves, it's also pretty offensive to the gazillion mommies that do wear their babies. Seriously, what the heck were they thinking...

Jennifer said...

I think that the ad is wrong! But I think I did hear where Motrin reps are apologizing for the ad. But does that really make it better? I don't know! I wasn't a baby wearer but I support those who do!

Anonymous said...

Well, it is OBVIOUS to me the dumb bitch bought the WRONG sling if her back is bothering her!

I'll take Motrin if I stub my toe, break a nail or crack my head open. I'm a fan regardless if their PR people suck ass! Hmmm, I think I am looking at a liver transplant in my future!

A* said...

OK. So being in the ad business I can see this both ways:
a) they did research. they found an untapped demographic and played into it.
BADLY.

b) Moms take offense to making the sling seem like what all the cool kids are doing, that they look haggard & tired b/c of carrying their kids.
Which I don't think was their intention. So why the ass-backwards-ad?

They did some 300 person survey, spent hours talking about who said what hurt them and why. They threw out the people that just didn't fit their sample and then wrote a creative brief asking their agency to talk to the people who did fit their sample. Dollars to donuts the creative team is mostly men w/ no kids. :o)
As to the PR of this? Yeah, they love it. But they sure as hell don't want a HUGE demographic of women b/w the ages of 25-44 to get pissed at them and stop buying their product. They will do some damage control and still pull in the bucks.
:)
Plus, remember that movie What Women Want? With Advil and the headache? Sometimes those ideas get thrown at the wall and ACTUALLY STICK. Doesn't happen often but it does happen.

Anna Lefler said...

Hmmm...I've been hearing a lot about this.

I think the ad is ill-conceived and apparently not focus-group tested at all, which is pretty foolish.

Then again, it's a cheap ad, and focus groups probably would have cost more than the ad itself.

So Motrin didn't think it all the way through and they got spanked for it. It's not the first time a company has shot themselves in the foot with a lame ad.

I do think, however, that the response has been way overblown and received way too much attention for the relatively minor level of offense that the ad delivers.

The ad is indeed lame, but not worth all the outrage and media attention it's received.

My opinion, of course...

:^) Anna

Aracely said...

GURL, that's why I rock the strollers ;)

I had a baby carrier and handed it off to my husband before we left the parking lot... but I think it's insensitive to say that woman do this to be en vogue, poor marketing move. period.

JenNyc said...

So the ad people @ Motrin have spent some time at Gymboree doing their homework for their new ad to compete with Tylenol's simplistic but effective " Feel Better " campaign. La deee freakin' da. The hoopla, this blog, heck, even this comment was all a part of their big picture. Gah. Whatev.

Shan said...

i loved wearing my baby... it hurt my back... i love motrin!
where's the hoopla?

Unknown said...

i think it's lame ...but it's trying to be condescending and asshole-ish and that's why it's annoying. That smug narrator ....nope...don't like it .

Kristin said...

I hadn't seen that before. For the record my sling does not hurt by back, neck, shoulders at all. Maybe they aren't using them correctly.

PS holding a baby in your arms hurts.