Motrin, I am ashamed of you. Deeply ashamed.
“To be in fashion: In theory, I guess it’s a great idea.”
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is the opening line on the video Motrin made about what a PAIN baby wearing can be and how Motrin is “there” for you. In fashion??? First and foremost, Moms do not wear their babies because it is fashionable. I tried to view the entire video, but it seems it has already been “taken down” at least in part. It is “there” but when I hit play, the screen didn’t change for the entire segment. You can view the transcript here. Be prepared to be outraged.
In all, it is very negative toward baby wearing and full of misleading information. If “Moms” are their targeted demographic, I don’t think their advertisement / marketing departments have done very well by them.
Motrin, Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson – what say you?
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1 November 16th, 2008 at 12:44 am
My daughter wouldn’t have put up with baby-wearing to save her soul… not that we didn’t give it a go. Not because it was “fashionable” but because of the bonding benefits. Given the alternative? (A baby who won’t sleep anywhere but in her bed, who must be held in the arms going anywhere and everywhere or must endure feeling separation from mama while the dishes get done or the dinner cooked or the shower taken) I would’ve been thrilled had she agreed to it.
How sad that whomever wrote that ad clearly has zero respect for moms, for what it means to care more about your child than yourself, or the fact that while moms might appreciate a little pain relief once in awhile - we don’t view our children as ‘fashion accessories.’
Ugh.
2 November 16th, 2008 at 12:59 am
That was probably one of the most offense ads I have seen. I had 3 kids in three years, I always had some either in the front or on my back while carrying a baby carrier and one on my hip out of necessity and LOVE not fashion!
What’s next? Will their next video be highlighting the hunched over position during nursing and claiming that bonding experience is to back breaking?
At 44 with a 2 year, my back ain’t what it used to be but carrying that baby is what I live for. Well, next time Motrin should consider actually using Moms to test market!
Offended New Old Mom
(Thanks for the post!)
3 November 16th, 2008 at 1:06 am
[...] Shake The Salt [...]
4 November 16th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Okay, I’m a guy, but with three kids we’ve raised deep in the attachment parenting space - and with having carried my babies in slings many, many times, I have to say that while it’s a bit clumsy, I think that the campaign is also amusing and really not the nuclear detonation people seem to be suggesting.
I mean, I still carry my almost 5yo when she, too often for my tastes, says “uppy, daddy?” and happily so, but she’s heavy and it IS tiring and fatiguing.
I mean, parenting doesn’t have to mean martyrdom and I think it’s okay to say “yeah, this is work and parts of it are physically exhausting too”. I mean, the ’sleeping on the floor next to your kid’s bed’ or contorted in some strange position to reassure them when they’re sick, that’s all part of our lives.
So why is Motrin so horrible for playing with that idea and trying an ad to appeal to that demographic?
Dave Taylor’s last blog post: What’s with streamers being thrown at MLS soccer games?
5 November 16th, 2008 at 2:02 am
Dave, the part you are missing is here:
http://tinyurl.com/5wcy7z
Summary?
- Women don’t wear babies because it’s ‘fashionable’
- Women don’t wear babies to “look like official moms”
- Pain and aches happen no matter what you are doing as a parent… you don’t cry MORE because you are wearing the baby.
It’s a rude, insulting ad. The fact that so many moms have responded as they have? Should be indicative of that.
Lucretia Pruitt’s last blog post: Blogging Guilt
6 November 16th, 2008 at 2:06 am
Dave,
Thanks for replying!
First, it is the way it is addressed & the words/tone used. It gives the impression that baby wearing = painful and it does not have to be if done properly. Great that Motrin wants to ease back pain, but wrong way to get the message across. Moms are NOT happy about it. The internet iz buzzing pretty strongly right now. 
Christy
Admin
7 November 16th, 2008 at 2:21 am
The *point* of the motrin ad isn’t exactly evil, but they just didn’t do it right. Someone in their marketing department didn’t do his/her demographic homework, eh?
As far as crappy, annoyingly patronizing ads go, this one is up there. What irritated me the most was the “official mom” line. Seriously, WHO wears a baby sling to “look” official and be a “cool” mom. We don’t spend over a hundred bucks on a baby bjorn to look cool, it’s too make carrying baby easier.
8 November 16th, 2008 at 2:58 am
ok. I bite. I’ll even pick the meat off the bone. When it comes to baby wearing, I didn’t much, but my husband did. According to him, the ad isn’t necessarily offensive, but it is opportunist and inaccurate. I agree except I believe the ad also takes a low blow to attachment parenting practices like baby wearing and encourages the bias we constantly face. I didn’t wear my baby because my back couldn’t handle it, especially not after my stomach muscles had been cut to get my son out via C-section. I know a thing or two about taking ibuprofen for pain — and lots of it. (and I didn’t take Motrin mind you because the generic version costs less and works the same, so you can #suckit Motrin.)
I think the part that gets my goat is the snarky/snooty tone or attitude that the narrator seems to have when reading the script. It would have been one thing if she had said “baby wearing, if not done correctly, can be painful so we got your back.” No, instead, she goes on to belittle it in her tone and manner of speaking. Seems I’m not alone in this, so I can’t be that far off.
I worked many years in advertising so I tend to be even more critical of ads than most. Maybe this is an American movie culture bias, but I didn’t appreciate the word “schwing” used as one of the made-up names for other sling products. Perhaps the ad just wasn’t properly tested or else they would have known that “schwing” is a sexual reference. I felt compelled to mention this since it hasn’t been too long since breastfeeding was attacked by Bill Maher and I still feel the sting of that one. But that’s just me.
I highly recommend reading the transcript (linked in the original post) and looking at the words that are given emphasis. The psychology of this ad is clearly trying to play to the consumer’s ego. “What about me?” Nothing like trying to guilt you into purchasing their product. Aren’t moms and dads bombarded with enough guilt during the whole parenting experience? What’s a little more?
Advertising most always tries to convince you of a problem you didn’t know you had. This advertising is NOT about bringing awareness to baby wearing or attachment parenting and the aches and pains that might be part of the process. If anything, it’s a tongue in cheek way of ripping on it and THAT is the part I find irresponsible.
The makers of Motrin aren’t horrible, they are just like many other ad campaigns who prey on “that demographic” who might be considering baby wearing. This is a stretch, but I have to say it. Since Motrin costs more than generic brand, maybe you can afford it by not purchasing a fancy schmancy baby sling. After all, just where are your priorities you crazy baby-wearing parents! Doesn’t your back pain come first? Why would you dare to consider wearing your baby in a carrier if it’s so painful. Oh yeah, because “it’s a good pain, for your kid.” Well, if that’s the way you crazy baby-wearing moms choose to be, you better have some Motrin on hand because you’re gonna need it.
My opinion is that the Ad Agency for Motrin is ethically irresponsible for playing with this idea because it’s negative propaganda against attachment parents or “fashionable moms” who choose to wear their babies as a necessity — not an accessory.
Lastly, the video player in the ad is wonky. Turn-off. There is no clear indicator of when it’s finished the loading process. I fumbled with it to get it to work, but others might not (as noted in the original blog post).
1. Don’t hate Motrin, be pissed at the ad agency who didn’t properly test this ad.
2. Remember, even bad publicity is still publicity. You’re selling Motrin right now.
3. Spread the word about how good baby slings and carriers really are and what your experience is with them.
4. Buy generic ibuprofen and take some like I’m going to right now.
TheMacMommy’s last blog post: What Do Worms Eat for Lunch?
9 November 16th, 2008 at 4:04 am
The only thing that really bothered me as a Mom was the condescending tone of voice used in the voice-over. I felt like she was mocking me for using a baby sling. If the tone of voice had been different then it would not have been offensive.
KarenKramer’s last blog post: Twitter Moms in Uproar over Motrin Video
10 November 16th, 2008 at 4:18 am
I was pretty surpised and after reading these comments, I do agree the tone of voice had a lot to do with it. The ad’s premise is off-base to begin with, but add the tone of voice of the woman speaking–it’s like babies and baby slings are dirty words. Where were the focus groups and surveys before this ad got as far as it did? Motrin’s going to walk in to a big backlash come Monday morning, if not before!
11 November 16th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Thanks for acting so quickly to get the word out. I posted about this to and have linked to you:
http://mommosttraveled.com/a-devout-baby-wearer/
I am so tired of being marginalized by the media and PR companies who only see “dumb” moms as air heads.
CanCan (Mom Most Traveled)’s last blog post: Bamboosa Baby Rib Tank
12 November 16th, 2008 at 8:45 am
[...] Shake the Salt [...]
13 November 16th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
The video works just fine. I just showed my husband and he shook his head. “That was a bad idea!” he said.
Pamela Kramer’s last blog post: Motrin - You Feel My Pain? (#motrinmoms)
14 November 17th, 2008 at 12:22 am
[...] the joy of wearing their babies. You’ve got to read the comments on a post titled “Motrin: The Anti-Mom?” to really get a taste of [...]
15 November 17th, 2008 at 1:20 am
There is a fine line between sympathizing humorously with the difficulty of parenting, and completely patronizing mothers over those aspects. It’s clearly a stupid, stupid ad campaign.
And no, of course it doesn’t have to be painful, and yes, mothers have been doing it for who knows how many centuries.
I find the overall smarmy tone bad, but as a babywearing mom I have to say I find the backlash against the reemergence of slings and wraps both ignorant and tiresome. Just b/c Angelina Jolie does it doesn’t make it some stupid fad that people do to look good. Some people just don’t like anything that strikes them as foreign or different. And of course Americans seem to have issue with babies not being independent from day one in their crib and other various equipment.
16 November 17th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
All these comments are great, but what will they do in the long run? If you want to influence Johnson & Johnson’s reputation, go to Vanno - The Company Reputation Index. See what others think about J&J when it comes to product safety, as well as how they treat their customers, employees and communities. You can have a concrete effect on J&J’s rankings and ratings.
http://vanno.com/company/johnson-and-johnson
Nudger’s last blog post: Moms vs Motrin
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18 February 26th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
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