Dear Motrin,
What were you thinking? Seriously?! You thought insulting mothers was a good idea?
Because by implying my sole reason for doing something as beneficial as babywearing, is because it is a “fashion statement” and would make me look like “an official mom” you have done exactly that.
I would think insulting your potential customers would alienate them. Not send them rushing out to the store to stock up.
Let’s examine the fallacies shall we?
- “Wearing your baby seems to be in fashion” – Are you saying that babywearing is a new fashion statement? What about the fact that babywearing has been done in hundreds of cultures world-wide for thousands of years. Hardly seems a passing fad or fashion to me.
- “In theory it’s a great idea” implies that in practice it is not. Way to discourage potential mothers from even TRYING to do best by their babies. Maybe you should start campaigning for the formula companies next, you seem to have a good handle on this line of reasoning.
- List of types of baby carriers ending with a sarcastic “who knows what else”. You then end that section of the ad saying “Supposedly it’s a real bonding experience”. Supposedly? Did you Motrin dudes (the ad had to be written by a guy my husband says) do any research on the actual facts of babywearing before putting this ad out there? I didn’t think so.
- “What about me? Do moms who wear their babies cry more than those who don’t?” The idiocy of these statements are so numerous I won’t even address them here. I’ll merely refer you to the comment section below where some of my blogger-mommy friends will set you straight. 🙂
- “These things put a ton of strain….” My husband, who by the way is an ‘official mom’ apparently since he ALSO wears our babies from time to time said “They’ve never strained MY back!” I also would add that I have severe back and neck issues. Only some pretty intense physical therapy and chiropractic and massage therapy kept me from surgery when I was 18. Yet somehow I’ve managed to wear three babies now without needing to succumb to the seduction of Motrin. I wonder how I survived it? I tried three different carriers and found the Moby Wrap Baby Carrier
to be the best for me – and, by the way, it is less strain on my back to carry Micah in the wrap than to carry him in my arms.
- “Totally makes me look like an official mom” First you say that babywearing is a fashion statement. Then you say that it is necessary to be a real mom. You finish by saying that real moms look “tired and crazy”. Gee. Thanks. And here I thought my new haircut made me look younger and sexy. I guess my husband was lying to me when he said that….good thing I had this insulting Motrin ad to set me straight.
Honestly, the only pain I have at the moment is the headache from refuting the ignorance in this Motrin ad. Anyone have a generic ibuprofen?
Motrin…..a good idea in theory.
Blessings,
Angela – Proud Babywearing Non-Motrin Mom
As a former baby wearer, I say Motrin do your homework. It has been in practice since pre-history. Maybe crack a book, look at other cultures. In fact in the US, we are almost alone in our quest to distance ourselves from our children. We use strollers, they have separate rooms. Motrin, I wore my baby for almost two years and I never had any pain, never. My husband, who also wore our daughter, never had an issue either.
Thank you for writing this. I guess Motrin has been added to my list of “do not buy from”
My husband would totally agree with you. His response to the ad was “Great – someone else talking about children like they were a ‘status symbol’. I hate that.”
🙂 Kids are SO much more than fashionable status symbols.
Thanks for letting me in on that. I sent them a response also. Their ad targeted an ergonomically correct way to carry a child. . .not a mom with their hip 3 feet to one side carrying a baby, or a mom lugging around a 12lb baby carrier with a 10lb baby in it. I am so angry!! UGH!!!!!!!!!
I got the heads up on this ad from Twitter. When I watched it my immediate reaction was “you have got to be kidding me.”
If your intention was to insult condescend to your target market, you’ve done a great job.
You can bet when mothers get mad they get loud. Moms around the world are talking and what they are saying about Motrin is NOT good.
Do a little research, learn a bit about your target market, learn a little about what you are talking about before you open your mouth and post such an obviously anti mom and anti baby advertisement.
Jackie Lee
http://www.NaturalPregnancyProject.com
Well, I think I`m a real mom . . . and I do get tired and crazy from time to time, lol. But I also live in Guatemala and here no one would dream of NOT wearing their baby!
My sons were strapped to my back or front from birth and though I did have the occasional strain on my shoulder muscles, it was never severe enough to actually take a painkiller, so Motrin is out of luck!
Frankly, lugging around a car seat or pushing a stroller makes my back hurt. I’ve never had a problem with babywearing making my back hurt and I’ve tried every type of carrier out there. Only in the US would an ad like this fly.
A ha, I had the wrong blog! lol
Thank you for this post! Go get em girl! 🙂
As requested, my links 🙂
Blog post:
http://www.crazyadventuresinparenting.com/2008/11/motrins-new-ad-wrong-message-wrong-time.html
Vlog post:http://www.newbaby.com/Mom_User_Motrin%27s+Ad+-+Wrong+Message%2C+Wrong+Time%2C+Wrong+All+Around
Lisa
Crazy Adventures in Parenting