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Twitter Moms in Uproar over Motrin Video
The corporate world of advertising should know something about their respective market place, at least one would assume. On the official “Motrin” website, www.motrin.com ( not linking to them so they don’t get link credit) is a marketing video about Baby Wearing.
Uproar over Wearing Your Baby Mortin Marketing Video
The Motrin Pain Reliever has a video on their website about “wearing your baby” is a fashion trend and that it causes extreme pain. Being a Pain Reliever Company the Corporate Big Wigs an Marketing “Mad Men” seem to believe that were there’s potential pain there is a potential market to hawk their pain reliever.
Wow their buddies, the last thing you want to do is upset the natural order of things. Well the moms on the internet are fighting back and using Twitter as their weapon of choice along with their own personal blogs.
You can follow the fight, and keep up with the Twitter Uproar or voice your twitter opinion by adding the #MotrinMoms to your tweets and see them on (MotrinMoms). Additional coverage Here and Here and an action plan for Motrin to rectify here
The offensive Motrin Ad that got twitter moms to react:
UPDATE: A Video response to Motrin:
You can also leave your opinions here as comments. I know the Motrin people will get an earful and eyeful in the coming days and they will see the comments here as well!!
UPDATE: See Motrin’s response here… Motrin Responds to Twitter Moms uproar
21 Comments Received
November 16th, 2008 @2:12 am
Never, EVER, tell a mother she is “doing it wrong”.
Interesting is the using of social networking as a rallying tool and a protest platform. This kind of thing is going to be common when more “organised” groups get their sh*t together. Which is fine by me, as long as I agree with what they are saying *wink*
November 16th, 2008 @2:35 am
Ok, I totally missed why this was offensive? I thought it was clever. But it is very risky for big companies to try and act “casual”. It either really works (like the Dove campaigns) or it makes consumers bristle. It will be interesting to see how this is recieved over time.
November 16th, 2008 @3:30 am
I’d usually more laid back on these types of things, but this ad is offensive to ALL moms, not just babywearing moms. With digs like babywearing “supposedly” is good for the baby, to mocking moms by saying wearing a baby makes us “official” (as if that’s the only reason we do ANYTHING), the company that created this is so off base it’s ridiculous. And during International Babywearing week? Bad form. Very bad form.
November 16th, 2008 @3:31 am
It is amazing how quickly this story spread using Social Media like Twitter. It’s the talk of the day.
November 16th, 2008 @3:34 am
The condescending tone of the woman in the ad is a large part of the problem. It is also just plain offensive. Mothers don’t wear baby slings to be fashionable or trendy. Moms are not “crazy” either as the ad suggests. Where were Motrin’s focus groups? I’ve received online surveys asking my opinion of a company’s advertising in the past. Did Motrin survey mothers? My jaw dropped when I saw this ad. I just don’t know what to say other than offending your target audience is not the best strategy, Motrin.
November 16th, 2008 @7:35 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 someone who can be manipulated as a source of revenue.
November 16th, 2008 @8:06 am
I guess that the ad about carrying a baby did not bother me as much as the one where the mom says she would kill for some sleep then it goes on to imply that you can give your child Motrin and then everything is all better once the fever goes down.
I am afraid that far to many people already use over the counter drugs to make their kids sleep. It happens all the time, the drug is not used to help a child’s pain go away but rather to help an adult get a break.
But, what can I say other than, schools do this all the time. There are parents that are FORCED to medicate their child while at school because the child will not sit still or behave in a certain way. The government has allowed drug companies to become the drug pushers. More people die in the USA because of legal medications than from street drugs. I feel this is a result of people being taught that every little ache, pain, or discomfort should have a pill.
Pain, fever, discomfort…is all a part of the bodies way of telling you that you need to take care of yourself. In relation to the video you are talking about with the carrying baby. Let’s think – if you are having pain I bet you need to change the way that you do things rather than just cover up the pain & risk injuring yourself farther.
Ok, will now step down off of my soapbox about the legalized drug pushing.
Sheryl
November 16th, 2008 @11:51 am
I found both ads offensive. Babywearing has been done since the beginning of time – or at least since women figured out how to skin hides or weave plant material. It is more comfortable. It frees your hands. It is not one sided like a baby plus infant carrier. WE don’t do it to be fashionable. Or official. The ad’s tone is mocking, condescending.
I also found the children’s motrin offensive. If I said what I thought, I’d be committed, but push some pills and all is good?
Motrin – This house will no longer buy your products. And I pissed off blogging, twitter mama is BAD NEWS.
Jennifer
http://www.thesmartmama.com
November 16th, 2008 @11:53 am
My favourite line from the ad:
“Plus, it totally makes me look like an official mom.”
You’ve got to wonder – how many overtime hours did the Motrin “creative team” have to put in, to come up with something quite so gob-smackingly patronizing to women?
November 16th, 2008 @12:08 pm
Wow, talk about an advertising FAIL. I’m not sure that an apology is necessary, but Motrin should definitely reexamine how they gather info on what will appeal to their target market.
This reminds me of those terrible Brooke Shields VW ads that seem to mock the very women they’re trying to sell to. So bizarre.
November 16th, 2008 @4:50 pm
As a mother, this ad is MOST offensive. “What about ME?” Come on…people. Who were the ad wizards that came up with this one? Why don’t they actually ask a mother before concepting this type of ad?
November 16th, 2008 @6:03 pm
First of all, Motrin (and its ad agency) clearly did not do its homework. I work in consumer research for a living and specialize in being the voice of the consumer for my clients. Seems to me that a bunch of people sat around a conference room and came up with this crappy idea. Carrying a baby is way more comfortable when done correctly than lugging a baby around and operating one-handed. And last I heard, father carry babies too…at least my husband did. Could the Motrin folks not thought of something more reasonable that everyone could relate to…like how being hunched over a keyboard for long hours gives you back pain? Geesh. Nice job target marketing and knowing your consumer, Motrin.
November 16th, 2008 @8:54 pm
Looks mostly like a bunch of people have too much time on their hands.
November 17th, 2008 @8:21 am
Motrin listed several types of baby carriers: front, sling, swing, shwing, wrap, and pouch. How about the fashionable and official original baby carrier, in utero? I guess in theory, we should all just hire surrogate mothers and avoid any discomfort whatsoever. But don’t listen to me, I’m just tired and crazy. I hope you understand!
November 17th, 2008 @8:28 pm
I am SOOO tired of moms and their JUDGEMENTS of other moms and speaking for everyone in general. From the day I got pregnant, I had moms who were critical of every… single …minute …decision I made on MY baby. I’m tired of tsk tsks I get from certain moms who feel they know the answer to everything. You have the moms who say you have to breastfeed or bottle feed, au naturale w/ no pain meds or caesarians w/ lots of meds, Gymboree clothes or Target, to Babywise or No Babywise, sling or stroller, crib or bassinet, plastic bottles or glass, Gerber or Beechnut, Baby yoga or Soccer Tots, to vaccinate or not vaccinate, Dreft or Tide, Fruit or Snack Packs, work or not work, organic or not organic ETC. ETC!!!! The list goes on and on. Every mother makes a million decisions that she feels are critical to the well-being of her baby. WHO CARES WHAT SHE CHOOSES?? As long as she is not beating a child, those decisions are hers to make. If it works for you, then do it. So, if a mom wants a DAMN MOTRIN for her freaking back b/c she chose a sling over stroller then let her have one w/ o some other mom judging her or the ad people who were thinking of those moms like me who might just be in pain. BTW, I thank the Lord someone made motrin b/c my baby was 10.5 pounds at birth. SO SHOVE IT TWITTER MOMS!!!! My back hurts!
November 17th, 2008 @10:46 pm
@Kelly
The whole issue is about being offensive, Not Judgmental. You have the right to CHOOSE. No one is telling anyone what to do or not to do. The Motrin Ads were condescending, had a negative tone, and where OUTED as such. The personal choice to purchase, boycott, speak their opinion is what the issues are about.
Motrin saw the error of their intended marketing approach and pulled their spots. Apologized for their actions, and so be it.
The lesson of this is the marketing and the Public Awareness that quickly drew attention via the 2008 Wired IN Internet, Twitter and the ability to instantly publish on the internet (Blogging).
If you want to take a pain killer, a generic Ibuprofen, or name brand drug that is your choice and your consumer dollar.
Your freedom to voice your opinion and your right to do so is never in question.
No need to be offensive about it though, that’s just plain rude.
November 27th, 2008 @11:55 am
Could also be said about big boobs. Those “things” can weigh a ton.
January 14th, 2009 @9:12 am
I just want to say I agree with Kelly. I suffer from really bad back pain and I could never carry my baby in a sling. I had to take pain medication for this.
March 4th, 2010 @12:08 pm
I’m agree too. It’ quite painfull to carry my baby right now. I carry him 3-4 hours a day in every place. I have got no possibility to let him alone.
April 26th, 2010 @12:23 pm
Amazing the unthoughtful mistakes that companies can get themselves into. I’m confused a little though. I understand the baby wearing thing, but are they implying that mothers do this as a fashion or “showing off” statement? and if that’s the case – do some mothers actually do this?
May 22nd, 2010 @6:56 am
Wow…what the hell were they thinking?!?!
There were many more ways to get their message across, that would not have offended anyone. Moms who carry babys, Moms who play on the floor with babys, Moms who hold their babys while they sleep, Moms who are just plain ahy from doing soooo many things in a day, etc.
I agree that the best thing for Motrin to do is apologize, and do it quickly. And I hope whomever approved the ad gets their collective hineys kicked, and that the pain lasts a while….because the repurcussions of this ad will too
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