As International Babywearing Week drew to a close, moms were blogging, vlogging and tweeting about a controversial ad campaign launched by the makers of Motrin. For mothers who have experienced (and appreciate) the benefits babywearing can bring, Motrin’s latest ad campaign was, at the very least, ‘distasteful.’
The response to the campaign, by babywearers in particular, has demonstrated, once again, the many ways in which mothers are harnessing the power of the Internet to affect change. Motrin has issued an apology and removed the ad from their website
As a babywearing mother of two, I have to say that I,too, found the tone of the commercial to be in poor taste. The ad seemed to raise questions about the benefits of babywearing, while making light of a practice that mothers around the world have carried out for centuries. We in the West have repackaged the wisdom of African, Asian and Latin American moms by putting a ‘new twist’ on an old practice.
In many developing countries health workers promote skin to skin contact between mother and newborn. ‘Kangaroo mother care,’ as it is called, involves the wrapping or wearing of one’s baby on one’s chest. Organizations like UNICEF and Save the Children support these efforts, citing the role that kangaroo mother care has played in reducing infant mortality rates.
In most developed countries, mothers have a wide assortment of baby carriers to choose from– designer fabrics–with rings–without rings. In many parts of the world, however, wearing one’s baby would never be considered a ‘fashion statement.’
To me, the Motrin ad was distasteful not only because it made light of a practice that is saving babies lives, but because it insinuated that babywearing was a ‘trend’ solely owned by achy Western wannabee ‘official moms’….whoever they are.
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November 17th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Beautifully stated. Thank you.
November 17th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
kudos
Beautifully and kindly stated.
November 18th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Are you kidding? Why don’t the people sending angry emails to Motrin redirect this aggression to causes that really need attention? Child abuse? School funding? Adoption? The problems are endless but instead somebody chooses to complain about a Motrin commercial that insults “babywearing?” I am actually more insulted by the term “babywearing” than anything else.
November 18th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Are you serious? Whoever wrote this is an ignorant mother (or father), along with those who complained about it. Individuals are actually banning the product for this commercial which I find pointless and childish. Whats so bad about the commercial? The only way its horrible is if you thought way too much into it (and trust me, you did). Sure, the commercial sounded like it was from someone in ‘Desperate Housewives’ but you hear more offensive things everyday in PERSON. want to know an interesting fact? YOU are the cause for the torture and murder of thousands of animals, yet you decide that complaining or banning a product because of a commercial is OFFENSIVE? dont even say its not directly you its the ‘companies’, no its called supply and demand. I am suprised at how many ‘adults’ are stupid enough to think that way, you need to be educated. Im 15, and yet I know there are more important things to dwell about. How about the war in Iraq? Have you done ANYTHING to help either Iraqs children or our soldiers? (the soldiers who deserve it) Or how about Gay marriage? They tell us love is unconditional but there is so much hatred around in the U.S. GROW UP.
Tasheeheartsyou@gmail.com
If you would like to mail me feel free
November 18th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Actually Shannon, most of the people who responded to the Motrin ad, DO support other causes. Among the other causes I support… the local food pantry serving to end hunger here in Chicago, Glass Slipper Project, money to Heifer International, worked and donated to the Obama campaign, have previously been a Big Sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters, every year we donate money and toys and time to underprivileged kids in Chicago. We buy our food from organizations that are humane to both animals and humans, we support local farming efforts.
So uh…yeah, it’s pretty closed minded (and just plain WRONG) to think that the people who responded to the Motrin ad and acted against it have NOTHING ELSE that they support and fight for or against.
Oh and further…the continuation of the stereotype of moms as airheads who only follow trends and don’t do independent research IS dangerous…for a number of reasons, including undermining our authority when we act out against things like child abuse, school funding, adoption.
November 19th, 2008 at 6:09 am
Thank you for the very direct response to the Mortin ad. While the ad wasn’t “terrible”, it did come off as describing “babywearing” as a self-serving fashion practice, like wearing painful high heels.
As you stated, throughout most of the world babywearing is the norm. Only we, here, in so-called “progressive” societies choose to carry our children in a hard plastic “basket” (also known as a baby carrier). How bizarrre!
Starting when she was 2 months of age, my husband and I traveled the globe with our daughter. I wore a cloth sling, which was far more portable and more useful than a hard plastic “basket”. From the age of 2 months to 4 years, on a variety of journeys, we took our daughter–and her sling–along with us. Yes, a 4 year-old can be carried in a sling, much easier when those little legs are tired. And the best part is, we could travel places where a heeled stroller couldn’t go–sandy, marshy, swampy, hilly terrain. And I or my husband–whoever was wearing the sling–would have both hands free. Worn correctly, the sling is not at all uncomforatble.
The advertising agency who made the ad COULD have made it a very tasteful ad, one which sounded as if babywearing was advantgeous and innovative to Western Civ. But it didn’t.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I can not believe what I am hearing. How can people be so sensitive about a freaking baby holder. This is weird. Who can honestly get worked up about this ad? Is it really attacking anyone? Is it really that offensive? Why don’t you mommies go after people that exploit women’s bodies? That should be a sensitive subject, especially since you probably don’t want that child you are raising to see half naked women.
Chill out… Anyone who has been angered by this article probably has “Post-Partum Depression”…. if it even exsists
November 19th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Someone on one of these blogs said, “lighten up, the ad was meant to be funny.” If so, then it completely missed the mark. I understand humor. I’m as self-deprecating as the next person, and this ad was not funny, or witty, or insightful. It was insultive and it made moms all over the world look like they care more about fashion than their own kids.
Even worse than the ad, however, is the attitude that I’m seeing from people on-line. People like Shannon, who seem to think that mothers who stand up for themselves in one way have someone maxed out the amount of time they have to do any good deeds. Let’s see, Shannon in the past month I have donated $70 to a domestic abuse survivor, $20 to the local Lions Club, $20 to the local Children’s Hospital, and oh yes, I found five minutes of time to send a quick email to Motrin to tell them I wasn’t happy with the ad. Yes, I know, I could have done something else during that five minutes. And you could have done something else during the five minutes it took you to write that ridiculous post.
November 19th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
You’ve stated exactly the point in the most profound way. Thank you.
November 20th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Wonderfully written article.
I think the people who don’t understand are the ones who have never worn their baby. Or worn them correctly. I know moms who try it once, maybe twice, the baby cries and they tell everyone that their baby ‘hated’ the sling. They never gave it a chance nor learned to get the baby comfortable, early quitters.
I wore my daughter when she was born, in 1984 for two years. Ten years later, I had a new baby, new husband and thought that I had to have one of those plastic buckets like all of the other moms. (Now that’s being trendy, don’t we all know the moms who sign up for everything under the sun thinking that is what is needed?) Well, the first time I took him to a store to shop and had to carry him I ended up leaving within 10 minutes, he, in the bucket, was so heavy, I never carried it again. Put him in a sling and off we went, anywhere, no trouble at all.
The ad looks at a normal easy way to carry our children as the latest fashion statement, when it is the best way. Not ‘SUPPOSEDLY’.
And, I too, do many donate to many charitable causes and give my time to helping moms and babies breastfeed, for no charge when they need. help.