Motrin Responds To Online Backlash
AdAge details a weekend backlash on Twitter that brought down a questionable ad campaign from Motrin. (I missed it; I was at a Soaring Crane Qigong workshop.)
You can see the ad, and a great spoof, on YouTube. (And below the fold!) Watch the latter if you don’t get the stupidity of the former.
After reading Motrin-related Tweets today, I think that responses to the ad may reflect a generational — and gender — divide. There are a lot of “Move On” and “Get over it” and “Stop the Hating” comments …. from men and women whose pix suggest that they are very young. Just a thought, and worth a bit more analysis.
What do you think? Tempest in a tea pot? Social media (appropriately) flexes muscle? Something else?
And why do movements like this happen on a weekend? I’m thinking of the first social media scalp, bloggers on Trent Lott.
Controversial Motrin Moms Commercial
Motrin Spoof
Motrin Ad Commentary
This post first appeared at WiredPen.
Update: The sound is bad, but this clip has barbs!
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6 Comments, Comment or Ping
pam
I thought all the hoopla around the Motrin ad was a little reactionary. I do agree the angle was kinda dumb (I would have loved to be in the room when the ad team was talking about why this ad was a great idea). But the ad wasn’t arguing against baby wearing. Motrin WANTS women to wear their babies so they experience back/shoulder pain, so they BUY Motrin. So the fact that the blogosphere was flooded with righteous comments defending baby wearing (is this a new term?) didn’t quite make sense. But who am I? I’ve always taken Advil
Nov 18th, 2008
Brook Ellingwood
I’m a guy who’s worn a baby for extended foot travel, and any mother who says it doesn’t hurt her back must be a 16-year-old triathlete. But the real story here is that the ad agency had no idea the trouble it had brewed for itself with its glib approach.
At what other point in history has there been a way to have conversation in a space so public that it can be easily “heard” by a billion people (at a guess), but go completely unheard by the small group people who have the greatest interest in hearing and reacting to it? Whether you call it “consumer reaction,” “gossip,” or “mob mentality,” the takeaway isn’t the mom’s message, but the velocity with which it spread. We are in the fast reflex age of spin control and eternal vigilance is the price of being a marketer.
Nov 18th, 2008
tina_arciaga
I think this reflects how people are often just waiting for a reason to get offended and perhaps the good in all of his is how the collective anger has brought a group of baby wearing moms together – maybe a better spoof would be advocating the use of Motrin to alleviate watching their commercials.
Nov 19th, 2008
kegill
Hi, Pam … the ad was implying that “baby wearing” was a fashion thing. That’s why I thought the “boobs” spoof was so good — substitute concept for the other to show how stupid it was.
There was a thoughtful post from one of the women who started the discussion about the ad. She said that she thought pulling the ad was as old school as developing it in the first place (my paraphrase). She listed three or four innovative responses that Motrin could have implemented instead of yanking it.
Plus, I forgot to add this part, it’s international baby wearing week (12-18 November) this week! You do have to ask yourself what was the ad agency (and the marketing people at the Pharma) thinking?
Of course, I keep asking myself, “Why do people buy Motrin? Or Advil?” It’s ibuprofen, baby, and a LOT cheaper as a generic! (Says she who regularly took 800 mg doses for A Long Time.)
Oh. And to Brook’s point. It’s _still_ spreading! I have an RSS feed for the search, “Motrin” … I’m amazed. Truly. Anyone who wants to do some datamining with me … shout.
Nov 19th, 2008
kegill
LOL! I just browsed some of the YouTube clips that have cropped up. Shall be adding one above (I don’t think I can add it here).
Nov 19th, 2008
Suna
Yeah, I agree with Kathy on this. I don’t think this is over-reaction.
The whole ad’s premise states (doesn’t even imply) that carrying your baby in a backpack or sling is some a sort of status symbol to look cool and “because it makes me look like an official mom.”
So, this ad is actually quite snarky and that’s why it (rightly) got the response that it did from their target audience.
Nov 23rd, 2008
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