Motrin has pissed off the Mom-o-Sphere
Poor Motrin. The company tried to market its painkillers to mothers, rightly thinking that mothers 1) are the main spenders in every household 2) have more aches and pains than professional hockey players.
So the company made a commercial about the aches and pains of motherhood, making two huge mistakes. One, they used a woman for the voice over who sounds so young that she can’t possibly be a mother because she can’t possibly be fertile. Two, they blamed nearly all of the aches and pains of motherhood on slings—and spent a good time making fun of these handy little devices.
It probably only took one sling-wearing Mommy to see the commercial before Motrin became mired in the commercial equivalent of the biggest diaper explosion imaginable. She probably emailed two moms who emailed two moms who both had blogs, and then the rest is on Twitter.
Despite any national or world news that might have taken place in the past few days, the topic of Motrin surpassed it on all things Mom Internet. And nearly every Mom in the universe has a blog, you know.
What was Motrin thinking? The blunder already has a name: MotrinGate.
Well, I can tell you right now what Motrin is thinking now that they’ve seen the reaction to their ad on Mom Internet. They pulled the ad, and now all of the men and unfertile women who work there are huddled in emergency meetings trying to figure out how best to clean up this incredible diaper explosion. Perhaps one of them might have a light bulb moment and think to call his mother and seek out her opinion.
Mothers know best. Always have and always will.
Despite the fact that Motrin pulled the ad, you can still watch it on You Tube or any number of mommy blogs (like this one).
When you watch it, you might wonder the same thing I wondered, “What got all of these mothers into a tweet anyway?” I’ve put some thought into that question, and I’ve come to this conclusion. If I’ve learned anything since I became a mother, it’s this: Moms who believe in slings are almost as militant about these beliefs as the religious right is about, well, religion. I can say this because I once owned not one, but two slings. I also had a front pack and a backpack. I can make fun of slings because I was once a sling-wearing mommy.
Motrin cannot. This pill bottle has never worn a sling. Motrin making fun of slings is like me, a straight Mom, trying to sound hip amongst my gay friends by calling one of the guys a “Queen.” Gay men call each other Queens all the time. Straight men and women are not allowed to say this word unless, of course, we’re talking about the Queen of England. It’s just the way it is.
So, anyway, as a sling-wearing mommy, I used to tell any mother who would listen that slings were the most ergonomically correct baby-wearing choice.
But, I have to admit one thing: Motrin’s right. The slings made my shoulders hurt. The front packs and backpacks made my back hurt. And carrying my baby without either? It made my entire body hurt.
In the four years since I’ve become a mother, nearly every part of my body has started to hurt in a chronic, bad, vicious way. My neck hurts. My back hurts. My shoulders hurt. My left hip hurts. My right knee hurts. Sometimes one of my ankles hurts, too. Even my big toe hurts.
This is no exaggeration.
I’m quite sure that I have single achingly financed the retirement of both my chiropractor and my massage therapist.
I pop painkillers like they are vitamins. Every time I take one I think, “I should buy stock in this company. I cannot survive without this product.”
But I won’t be popping Motrin, because the company has pissed off a lot of mothers. I like mothers. Without mothers, we’d be nowhere—nowhere I tell you. If other mothers are pissed off at Motrin, then, heck, I’m pissed off, too.
I’m switching to Advil. Case closed.
Here\’s the Mommy response to the Motrin ad
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Tags: mommy bloggers, motherhood, motrin, parenthood, slings
November 17th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Great post, Alisa. I happen to know there are slings that do not cause any pain anywhere. Strangely, like clothes, you need to be fitted, both for your baby and you. You’d think you could just buy any old sling and it would be fine. Not so. You’re not going to believe this, but it’s true. Corey used to run a sling lending library. Moms-to-be would show us and she would explain the different slings (got them donated, she didn’t sell them, but lent them, then women could buy one they liked). After the baby came, if they wanted to try others, they could. Worked like a charm. No money in it of course, but what a concept!
November 17th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
http://www.coolmomguide.com/wear-that-baby
I, too, am royally pissed at motrin. I typically take Tylenol anyway
Stumbled you!!!
November 18th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I posted about this yesterday too. I am enjoying seeing the holy mess they have gotten themselves into when you would have thought that any mother along the line would have stopped that ad. And yes, we sling wearing mamas can be militant. But, I think it was the implication that we do it to look a certain way that ticked me off the most. Good post.
March 16th, 2009 at 11:56 am
thanks for this mate!!! =)