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June 7, 2016

Old Navy made a Father’s Day gift no dad will want

oldnavy2Just when you think it’s safe in June – the month when dad gets his deserving due and eventual one day in the sun – retail company Old Navy drums up yet another t-shirt controversy to undermine dads in one cotton-polyester-blend swoop.

Most recently, it unveiled a t-shirt quickly drawing the ire of not only dads, but social media users of all types.

On the shirt, bold letters proclaim “It’s Father’s Day”; creative use of alternate colors and one small, additional word reveal its true message:  “It’s Really Her Day.”

Dads are not pleased.

The shirt has been mildly circulating on social media in days prior, but was brought to the forefront yesterday by well known SAHD advocates At-Home Dad Network (@HomeDadNet) and Chris Bernholdt (@DadNCharge).

At Twitter user @katgordon pointed out, “What does this even mean?”

So far, that’s difficult to answer, as attempts to reach an Old Navy spokesperson went unanswered.

The shirt could mean that the retailer finally discovered the hidden words inside “Father’s Day” and felt the idea was too good to pass up for a shirt – an item that’s located for purchase at oldnavy.com under the incongruous category “Humor-Graphic Tee for Men.”

Perhaps Old Navy is making an insensitive statement that every day really is mom’s day.

It’s also probable that Old Navy created yet another t-shirt simply to stir controversy and draw attention to its brand, a classic move from the school of marketing behavior where “any publicity is good publicity.”

In any case, the timing and attempt at humor was lost on consumers immediately.

It was just six months ago when Old Navy unveiled a shirt possessing the power to both uplift and denigrate, as its children’s t-shirt proclaiming “Young Aspiring Artist,” was crossed out in favor of “Astronaut” and “President.”  The shirt sent a strong message to artists that their profession wasn’t respectable, and under pressure from consumers everywhere, the shirt was eventually pulled from shelves.

Whatever Old Navy’s rationale may be, it’s hardly defensible.  This latest outrage shirtrage isn’t going away anytime soon, and that little communication tool known as the Internet is likely to let Old Navy know it.

 

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June 1, 2016

Because dads are nurturers, too

armsreach1It’s a nice breath of fresh air when someone isn’t afraid to show a dad in a nurturing, or dare we say, snuggly position.  But that’s exactly the case with Arm’s Reach, who does what’s unfortunately the unthinkable for so many baby product companies – placing a baby carrier on dad.

It’s a sight we’ve all seen before, be it the park, library, or store. But for some reason, companies have a hard time going there.

Alas, the ad is great, where Arm’s Reach takes a small and brief moment to show a dad in a positive fashion, which validates that it must believe – on some level – dads do indeed shop and parent, too.

Last year, a Kansas City television station put the combination of dads and baby wraps in ksn3a less-than-flattering light while simultaneously making a mockery of fathers in other ways.  That station would do well to learn from this undertaking by Arm’s Reach, who isn’t afraid to put dad in an ad that also promotes a bassinet.

Anything placing dad in a position of nurturer is encouraging and needed.  Mother’s and Father’s Day occur in back-to-back months, yet you’ll be hard pressed to find many hearts on cards for dad – it’s more like neckties, easy chairs, power tools and beer mugs.

We say celebrate the love and warmth that comes from a father.

Keep up the good work, Arm’s Reach.  We’ve already heard from a few dads who appreciate the message you’re sending to America!

May 27, 2016

You may look like a dad, but we’re going to call you a mom

similac13It would’ve been great to be a fly on the wall when the male model (featured in this ad) got the call from his talent agent to appear in this Similac magazine ad:

Agent: How’s my favorite client?
Model: I’m good.
A: Great news – I landed you a new photo shoot for a parents magazine ad.
M: That’s cool. What’s the company?
A: Similac.
M: Similac?
A: You know, they make baby formula.
M: Oh, right.
A: Anyway, they want you to appear in a grocery store aisle holding a cute little baby.
M: Simple enough.
A: But there’s one catch…
M: What’s that?
A: They want to call you a mom.
M: (Momentary pause) A mom? But I’m a guy.
A: I know, I know. You’ll still be playing the part of a dad, but you see, their tagline is “Welcome to the Sisterhood of Motherhood.”
M: But dads aren’t moms.
A: True, but Similac likes to use “mom” as a synonym for “parent.”
M: (Awkward silence) But isn’t baby formula the perfect product to sell to dads, especially since they can’t breastfeed?
A: Right again, but they don’t need dads as customers.
M: Why not?
A: Because they say only women take care of kids and shop.
M: But I shop.
A: You’re single. When you get married and have kids, you don’t shop anymore. That’s a mother’s job.
M: That seems kind of sexist.
A: But Similac is paying you big money to look and act like a dad. (Awkward silence) They just want to call you a mom.
M: Now it all makes sense. Where do I sign?

Once again, Similac takes the shared role of parenting and needlessly genders its product – thus turning it into a mothers-only thing. It’s all the more troubling because they (gasp), used the word “parent” twice in its ad copy, only to follow up with its obdurate tagline. It concludes with a partisan invitation for only moms to converse further on social media.

The ad looks even more abnormal when you consider its “sisterhood” theme of supporting the choice between breast- and bottle-feeding – and then reflect on the same underlying “choice” theme in this particular heading – with a dad included. Breastfeeding and a dad?

We like to think that, at some point, Similac will discontinue this madness of posing dads in ads and calling them mothers in a sisterhood, but it has company when it comes to miscasting roles.

 

 

May 20, 2016

‘Choosy moms’ no more at jif.com

jif11In a move that can only be classified as ground-breaking and revolutionary, Jif Peanut Butter has removed its long-standing slogan – “Choosy Moms Choose Jif” – from its website, jif.com.

It’s a surprising and stunning development to be sure, where use of an old-fashioned, exclusionary, yet seemingly notable catch phrase is no longer being employed – at least on its website.

What this means for the future of the slogan’s long-term use is unclear.  So far, there’s no acknowledgement of the removal anywhere from Jif, or from its parent company, Smucker’s.

For decades, the phrase has sent a message to dads that Jif isn’t speaking to them, and for moms has implied that it’s their job to shop and cook.  Of course, with those parenting roles and stereotypical responsibilities having changed long ago, it appears that Jif is finally either succumbing to social pressure, or simply doing what’s right.  Either way, it’s an overwhelmingly positive move for Jif, who’s finally catching up with the times.

We’ll keep on top of the situation.  For now, it seems to be a strong step by Jif to make dads finally feel like a part of its product and messaging.

 

May 20, 2016

Can’t dads put sunscreen on kids?

aveenobaby2It’s ironic how there are some who admonish dads for their lack of parental involvement, and some who spend their time furthering that notion through advertising.

Take, for instance, this parent magazine ad for Aveeno Baby, produced by a company who believes that it’s only mom’s duty to handle a child’s skin protection.  That company may argue that “market research indicates…” or “readers prefer…” or “our focus groups suggest…” – but the fact is that it’s furthering a perception which is unfair, sexist and wrong.

Dads shop.  Dads parent.  Dads care.  And, well, dads apply sunscreen.

If you aren’t bothered by this chauvinistic ad, you should be for more reasons than one.  Not only does it disregard and intentionally exclude dads, it also uses the image of a boy to sell its product, the very product that will one day ignore this same boy should he become a father someday.  Spouses, too, should be bothered by this gender annexation:  that person they’re ignoring is your partner, your equal, your helpmate in this adventure called parenting.

Interestingly, last week we received a note from @KnowYourObama, who said, “Marketers don’t market to dads as parents because, mostly, they’re not.”

There’s no telling why this person believe this, but we wanted to chat a little more, and the following brief conversation ensued:

@dad_marketing:  “I think you might have offended Obama, plus a lot of other dedicated dads.”

@KnowYourObama:  “Obama’s a good dad, yes. But good dads – dads – are hard to find. Yay for the good ones.”

Here at DM Headquarters, we have no hard data to prove that there are more dedicated dads than uninvolved dads, but there should at least be some protection against libel, or perhaps some rules which guide what marketers can or can’t say.aveenobaby

Marketing departments have been saying or doing whatever they wanted for years, sometimes with little adaptation for societal changes – all in the pursuit of the almighty dollar.  It takes some real honorable companies to take a stand and do what is right and not just offer lip service (check out Jif-maker Smucker’s, and its “promise” page).

And who – you might ask – makes Aveeno Baby lotion?  None other than Johnson & Johnson, who has a history of waffling on gender equality.

To quote a word from Aveeno’s own ad, parents (dads included) have “trusted” Aveeno Baby and Johnson & Johnson for years.  When will that trust be returned?

May 18, 2016

This boy will someday be ignored by the very company using his likeness

garanimals4Do you see that cute little boy?  He’s been used.

Used by a company that was only in need of his smiling face, and then, will be ignored the moment he becomes a dad someday.

But don’t take our word for it.  Check out the Garanimals website, which uses parents and moms interchangeably like synonyms.  Of course, moms are parents, but one word refers to both genders of parents, the other only female parents; expressly mentioning moms and leaving out dads, as it did on its company website and in this print ad, purports mom to be the lead parent, the one who handles the shopping, the one who dresses kids, the one who takes care of kids alone.

That’s unfair.  That’s wrong.

It’s yet another unfortunate example of a company ignoring fathers as equal parents, and it has to stop.

Yes, that boy is smiling now, but someday he may be holding a child of his own.  He might even end up flipping through the pages of a parents magazine, encounter a Garanimals ad and then wonder, “I guess I only existed when that company needed something.”

And he might even use another company for his child’s clothes.

So in the end, this ad was not very, well, useful.

May 13, 2016

Marketers could learn a lot from the NFL

Statistics and ratings indicate that more men attend, watch and follow the NFL in greater numbers than women.  Take a casual look at fantasy football leagues, and those numbers widen even more.nfl

So if it were the case, you could forgive the NFL for targeting males in its advertising.  But being the wise, billion-dollar enterprise it is, you’ll hardly find its 32 teams (total worth: $63 billion) spending its marketing dollar only where the big money is located.

Rather, it places a strong emphasis on women, and wouldn’t dare make the catastrophic mistake of alienating an important part of its fan base.

So, no, the NFL won’t be unveiling new marketing slogans this season which focus on one gender, such as:

  • Choosy dads choose the NFL (Jif)
  • Kid tested, father approved (Kix)
  • Support for all dadkind (Boppy)
  • Welcome to the brotherhood of fatherhood (Similac)
  • #DadsKnow (Juicy Juice)
  • #DadWins (El Monterey)
  • Created by a dad for dads (Jesben)
  • For dad. For kids. From the beginning. (MyGerber)
  • Good for dads. Awesome for kids. (Capri Sun)

(You might note that none of these items referenced are feminine products.)

The NFL knows how to be popular and prosperous, so currently you see a successful, inclusive slogan like, “Football is Family.”

good2growAll of this makes the communication from good2grow so unusual, who claims to be “a family owned and operated company” with “one simple goal—creating wholesome, nutritious drinks in irresistible packaging kids love.”good2grow2

The juxtaposition is unusual, because families include dads, and in general, kids love their dads.  So if good2grow wants to create a product kids love, it should consider the other half of its customer base, which also includes boys, many of whom will eventually become dads.  Right now, it’s not speaking to dads in print, or on its website.

What do you say, good2grow?  Can dads be a part of your team?

April 29, 2016

The most exquisite folly is made of wisdom too fine spun

elmonterey7How many contradictions can one company make in a single email?  We came across this promo recently, and it’s hard to decide which of these items offers more incongruity:

  • Quoting Ben Franklin – a father – and then saying that its product is a wise choice only for moms?
  • Using a quote whose original use employs the word “man,” and then disregarding that same “man” in its promotional hashtag?
  • Using the term “kids” in the ad copy instead of just “girls”?  Because after all, El Monterey will eventually disregard the boys (who are among those kids) when they become dads.
  • Assuming that Ben Franklin would’ve loved El Monterey burritos, when even as an adult in modern times, he couldn’t have made the pick to buy them.  Clearly, according to El Monterey, it would’ve taken his own mother to choose them in the store for him.

Of course, the startling, underlying theme for El Monterey once again, is that a mother’s place is in the kitchen.  Otherwise, there would be no other reason to continue to snub dads, who certainly must be capable of microwaving a frozen food product.

And also, of course, El Monterey caps off the email promo with its #momwins campaign, which essentially leaves no one as a winner:  mom is typecast as the one who cooks, dad loses by way of exclusion.

The disappointing insistence of this El Monterey old fashioned marketing push leaves us hungry for another burrito maker, one that is thus, all the wiser.

April 7, 2016

Is Babies R Us starting a trend?

babiesrus3Ahhh, yes – car seats.

If there’s one item dads have no business meddling with, it’s the car seat.  Leave that up to mom, marketers say, because they’re the ones who will be shuttling baby along to appointments, shopping trips and day care centers.  Dad doesn’t even visit baby stores, and when he tries, it turns into utter chaos, right KSN?

But is this trend changing?

babiesrus4Here we have an email ad from Babies R Us, who doesn’t just give dad his due once, but twice – and almost exclusively by way of hiding a mom in the fuzzy background.  This wasn’t necessary, but it certainly sends a strong message as to who this store wanted featured in its marketing.  To be sure, we’ve seen plenty of mom-and-dad photos before, but this ad almost wholly features dads.

Babies R Us proves that dads belong in baby ads, and that they parent, too.  It isn’t afraid to buck the old fashioned trend that it formerly perpetuated, when we wrote about its Big Baby Book.

However, that was almost two years ago, so we’ll ask it again:  are things changing for the better?

We like to think so, and kudos to the creative team at Babies R Us for its inclusion of dads as the rightful parents they are, substantiating the fact that dads shop and parent, too.

March 21, 2016

Your opinion matters! We’d love to hear it! Sort of…

similac12We recently met a couple expecting their first child, who received a nice little starter gift in the mail – a free trial pack of Similac formula.  They’re not sure exactly how they obtained it, but suspect the address-sharing-snowball-effect commenced once the couple merely signed up for a baby registry.

But they didn’t care how it happened, they were thrilled.

Three canisters of Similac formula might not seem like much in the scope of a baby’s life, nor will it last terribly long when the child starts devouring bottles every five minutes. However, with the cost of formula being a small fortune, the package was a welcome surprise, and a classic example of product sampling.

The whole experience was a win-win for both the parents and Similac.

Or was it?

As the father happily dug through the box and its enclosed Similac literature, he felt his Daddy-Sense tingling.

What he noticed was something quite curious about the entire package as a whole.  What he noticed was – it wasn’t for him.

It was for his wife.

He doesn’t recall whose name was on the address label.  That didn’t matter.  What mattered was its message.

Similac had sent this wonderful surprise, a sample package of its valuable products to this first time excited couple, yet Similac couldn’t have cared less whether the dad was in the picture or not.

Never mind the fact that this dad is to be every bit as responsible as the mom for raising this child.  Or that the dad cares very much about what he’ll be feeding his child.  Or that neither parent possesses any more instinctual ability than the other to rear this child.  Or that the dad plans to personally shop for formula in stores and online.  Or that in this particular case, the dad’s salary will provide the sole means to purchase this very product.

Or never mind that – and here’s the real kicker – from a pure marketing perspective, baby formula is intrinsically built-in for dad use. Yes, we’re not sure why Similac needs us to point this out, but guys can’t physically nurse children.  To be sure, Similac should be pushing its product with dads every chance it gets.  They are arguably Similac’s most prized and integral customers!

Rather, this dad had to open the package and find literature, such as the featured card, which paradoxically wants opinions.

Just not his.

That point was reinforced in the card’s opening sentence, where it mentioned only mom by name, as well as the ‘StrongMoms Rewards’ logo at the bottom.

This shaky attempt at quantitative data essentially leaves the search out of research, whereby Similac ignores a whopping half of the parenting duo by making dads transparent.  All this, despite this and every dad’s shared ability to mix formula in a bottle, yet have no physical means to breastfeed.

It’s another frustrating dropped ball from the marketing team at Similac, which sadly, we’ve seen before.

The whole experience is a massive Simi-lack of judgment.