Remember When My Back Was Hurting From My Schwing, er Sling? Apparently I Needed a Motrin.

[We apparently gave Motrin a headache (heh c'mon, it's funny!) and so they took the ad down but if you want to see what all the hullabaloo is about, you can find it here]

So apparently Motrin was trying to get cool with moms by empathizing with their pain from sling wearing. Because we moms carry our babies to look fucking fashionable and suck up the gutwrenching aches because we want to look like moms.

I'm pretty sure the rolly belly, bad hair, gigantic ass, drool stains, poopy diapers, and three screaming children make me look like a mom just fine.

No clearly those 20-something year old ad execs who created this ad needed to do a bit more research. Too bad many of these agencies inch out their colleagues-turned-moms who can't hack the 80 + hour work weeks because they actually want to see their kids before they grow up. Had they actually hired a few moms, I'm pretty sure this ad would have stopped in the board room phase before it even got legs.

But alas, these smarties hired a hipster-slash-valley girl to tell us that moms wear their babies because it looks good, and we just deal with the pain because that's what we silly mommies do.

To be official and all.

So, dear Taxi (the ad agency that was responsible for this beauty), if you're going to do an ad about moms and pain, why not try childbirth? Because if my stitched up Frankengina doesn't make me look like a tired and crazy "Official Mom," then I'm not sure what will.

I guess that wouldn't get as many giggles as those crazy babywearing moms. But it would be a good way to sell people on Motrin, and not Advil. 

Comments

[Hemorrhoids Treatment]

@ Karen (Submommy):

Probably they have...

[lunxcixi]

good good study day

[grace]

They probably saw this presentation at The Girl Effect, http://www.girleffect.org/ , which is an amazing artistic piece of visually animated poetry set to music, and the marketing deconstruction of it in this article, http://www.madetostick.com/blog/2008/07/18/deconstructing-the-girl-effect/ . And then tried to *cough* emulate it.

[Meli]

Great post!

I wasn't aware of the ad until after the fact but now that I've seen the ad I only have one thing to say - WTF!?!

But the way you said it was much better. :)

[Courtney]

I missed the whole brou-ha-ha until it was all over, but I did manage to see the ad and yeah, totally insulting. Like I wear my baby because it's the IN thing to do. Pfft. Like I have a choice!

[TheFeministBreeder]

Anybody know where I can still see this ad? I missed it what with being busy working, going to class, and taking care of those two "official" babies. I miss all the fun stuff.

[L.A. Story]

Good God, Frankengina! That's hilarious. I'm sure if my husband's not horrified by the idea, he'll think it's a fun, rhym-ie complement to his (psychosomatic) angina.

[allaboutthepain]

hmph. Have you seen some of the slings out there? If they're not a fashion statement - or status symbol, they sure look like one to me. How many slings did you see walking around 20 years ago? 10 years? 5 years? About the same time Us mag noticed that it was time for a round of celebrity baby-making. Is your fave star wearing one in the magazine? Better run out and get one to go with every outfit. Each one of those color-coordinated-to-my-diaper-bag slings is designed to be a poke in the eye to every woman out there who want babies and cannot have them.

While this ad isn't pretty, it dials in on a potential new market that is undeveloped in the pain management category- at least it's not an example in the "I'm All Advil" campaign.

ps. I'd rather see this ad about a million times rather than have to sit through another "Viva Viagra" song and dance! At least it makes sense.

[Subrural Mama]

I wasn't as infuriated as some about the ad, but I have to admit it annoyed me something fierce.

The idea of the ad doesn't bother me - being a mom CAN be a pain in the ass...and the back, and the shoulders. Not to mention the vagina.

But they cross the line for me with the patronizing tone and the "in fashion" line. Good thing my baby will make me look like a celebrity even though my clothes don't fit my stretched out skin, my hair looks like hell, and I haven't worn makeup in a month.

I don't need Motrin, I need a martini.

[Asha]

LMAO!!!

[LiteralDan]

I think I follow the controversy, but since I stepped into it backwards you've got me all distracted and flustered with the breast thing, so who knows?

[Steph.]

Oh my gosh--Frankengina...I am ROFL. HILARIOS!

This was my exact thought when I saw that motrin ad--that a bunch of 20 somethings must have created it. Calling your baby a "thing" is not something I see a mom ever doing, myself. What a MISS this ad was!

[Jozet at Halushki]

I have no problem whatsoever with moms using the Internet to smack down stupidity.

Yes, most commercials are stupid. Yes, there are bigger issues.

But advertising works, or else ad companies would cease to exist. They play on emotion and they play on perception and building perception. Think of the last presidential campaign. And as the amazing Jean Kilbourne has said, yes, it's our job to become savvy consumers and to teach our kids (and ourselves) media literacy, but I'm going to do everything in my power to make my own job easier. The ad agency's right to "free speech" ends at the tip of my nose.

Women do not wear babies because it's fashionable. Parenting is not embarked on because it's fashionable. I can't begin to enumerate the problems in perception of parents and mothers that this ad is playing on and forwarding and confirming in a bad way. There are enough dopes in the world yet to be educated to let this slide.

And the firestorm controversy is over and done with. I don't think a weekend's worth of controversy is going to make anyone look silly or hysterical. I think it makes us look united, powerful, and precise. I think it says, "Don't mess with us on the small things, and watch out for us on the bigger issues. We've found our community garden fence and we're organizing." This was a practice run with an eye to getting it more precise next time. Sorry Motrin was the target; it could have been many others.

And if anyone wants to claim that I have no sense of humor, you can suck my Three Stooges video collection. I get what the commercial was going for. I get the humor they missed just slightly. I'm not going to stop using Motrin. But if I'm going to pay part of their salaries and support their "message", even a peripheral, unintended message, darn tootin' I'm going to let them know when they're swinging too close to my nose with their attempts at highly-researched psychological button pushing attached to dollars.

Easy peasy. This was like flexing a muscle. We're just hitting the gym right now. Wait until we've worked out a few more times.

[Kristi]

Heck, I was offended and I'm a Granny!

I wish they'd had slings when my kids were little. I got my daughter one for her last baby and she loved it.

But I did get a kick out of the fact that they shut their website down and now have an apology splashed on their home page.

Viva la Internet!!

[Amanda]

Dude, sling school, seriously. I wasn't nervous about meeting people at Blogher, I was terrified my Fin was going to fall.

The ad was fine, nothing groundbreaking beyond its ability to incite such anger. They missed the mark, but I'll probably always think of Motrin now.

Luckily I have a nekkid husband to rub my shoulders which is way better than some pansy ass motrin.

[Linda]

I posted my comment on this over at baby bunching....I just laugh because Motrin probably already has the new mom buy in....we buy it already for headaches and post natal ouchies. :-)

[BJC]

From the post titled "Frankengina" the line that reads "Clearly vaginas aren’t the prettiest things on the planet," I would have to disagree.
However, why is it that women now think they have to have thier pussy smooth as a 2 year olds. I for one would rather have at least some fur down there so I don't feel like some kind of child molester when I'm spending time at the Y...

BJC

[Issa]

Heh, I was thinking that if wearing a baby is fashionable...I may just be fashionable now, for the first time ever!

[Asianmommy]

That's silly--how hard is it to ask some real moms to preview the ad before it goes public?

[Karen (Submommy)]

That has to be the most asinine piece of garbage I've ever seen. Um, your focus groups need a little tweaking, friends.

I wonder how they'd try to sell us hemorrhoid cream?

[Don Mills Diva]

I'm pretty torn about this whole thing and I actually just posted about my dismay over how the controversy erupted.

Yes, the ad was dumb but geez people... if we turn every silly ad into a "controversy" don't we run the risk of being dismissed when we want to mobilize over a more urgent controversy?

[Shannon H]

I'm really surprised how messed up that ad is--they had a potentially good idea: babywearing is a pain in the neck, take Motrin--so how did they fail so miserably?! I wear my baby to look fashionable and official?! WTF?! I wear MY baby because it is the only thing that keeps her from screaming (I'm wearing her as I type this). And yes, my neck/shoulder starts to hurt after pacing for an hour (as do my knees and hips). Too bad I must now find a new pain reliever! (Actually I'm already using generic.)

[BOSSY]

This is such a coincidence, because Bossy wears her computer around her neck so she'll look like an official blogger. Who does she see about that pain?

[Rachel]

As someone who still wears her 18 month old daily and has NEVER been in pain from wearing him (hes like 25# FTR) this ad really pi$$ed me off when I first saw it. I found it highly offensive, and am really glad that they pulled it, though their apology was kinda weak.

[chloezoe]

I'm scratching my head trying to figure out what's so offensive...it's an ad. How realistic are they ever?

[Lee the MWOB Queen]

You are spot on with this one.

I watched that ad...really? REALLY?

We wear those horrific baby carriers so we can bond with our baby? How about because we'd like to be able to wipe our a#s?

What a crazy point of view that Taxi agency had...

[Barbara]

I was thinking they should get a gander at the new road map on my belly. Now that shit is OFFICIAL, even if you've had a C-section.

[Jaime]

You said it!

[MommyNamedApril]

stupid ad. they've got a great target audience right in the palms of their (free) hands and then THIS is the delivery (pun intended!)???

eeesh.

[Katie]

Well, apparently Motrin was so moritified they shut down their website because I am unable to access it.

[Her Bad Mother]

yeah, my Frankenvulva was the first thing I thought of, too. You need proof I'm a mom? BEHOLD MY TATTERED NETHERS.

[Dana]

Such a horrible mistake that Motrin made. Ugh.

[mothergoosemouse]

"Too bad many of these agencies inch out their colleagues-turned-moms who can't hack the 80 + hour work weeks because they actually want to see their kids before they grow up."

As you already know, that's what really hit home with me.

Whaddaya know...it might have actually been a good idea to have a part-time employee - who's actually a MOM - involved in the scripting of this ad.

[anita doberman]

ha, ha, ha
crazy!!!!

[Mary]

califmom, I was about to say the same thing; this is why I buy generic, for both me and my kids.

[SuZ]

What kinda crap is that?? I wore my child to hide my gut... Ha, I still hold her to cover it! :)

[Bill]

That ad gave me a seizure.

[mom101]

Proof positive a mom wasn't on the creative team: They left out the most important part - you wear your baby to hide your postpartum gut. Sheesh.

[goodfather]

I tried our sling with our baby when she was three months old. I have to say, not only was it NOT fashionable, but it was also not comfortable. And to top it off, it was one those long pieces of fabric slings that you have to go to sling school to learn how to wrap it correctly. Stroller ftw.

[califmom]

You nailed it! I'm still wondering who pays for name-brand ibuprofen.

[Jen]

I don't know...I enjoy righteous indignation as much as the next gal, but this one just doesn't get under my skin. Don't get me wrong...I see where it could bother other people. Maybe its just so ham-fisted that I can't take it seriously.