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Home / Featured / Social Media Marketing / Motrin Ad Fail
Note to self: when targeting an ad campaign after a specific demographic, try not to piss that demographic off with your ad campaign.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but apparently the makers and marketers at Motrin missed that memo. Instead, they put out this video that attempts to “relate” with mothers who use harnesses to carry their babies. The method is growing in popularity as it makes carrying a baby easier and allows for a stronger maternal bond. Motrin tried to attach their product to this.
They failed miserably. Here is a bootleg copy, just in case Motrin takes down the video.
The flaws in this video are too numerous to list, but it’s clear that the tone was wrong, the message was absurd, and the only possible result was an enraged group of former customers.
On Twitter, the conversations have been furious. As of the time of this post, #motrinmoms on Twitter has gone beyond the 1500 message archive limit in 12 hours, and there are several others going strong at #motrin, #motringate, and others. The vast majority of the responses have been negative.
The blog response hasn’t been any better. There have already been dozens of posts about it today. Some classic ones are listed at the bottom of this story. All are negative. The response hasn’t been good, but as someone who has not experienced baby-wearing, I decided to consult an expert.
To test the ad, I showed it to my wife, a mother of three who has been there, done that. I showed it to her with no prompting, no bias, just a “Hey honey, have you seen this?”
Her response at the 11 second mark: “Are you freakin’ kidding me? This must have been made by a man who was completely clueless about anything we go through.”
By the 15 second mark, her response became unprintable until the end when she asked, “What’s their next video going to say, that breast-feeding is a pain in the boob, so take Motrin? No way, I’m out. It’s generic Ibuprofen from now on.”
This video response says it all.
The message here is simple. In marketing (and just about every other aspect of life) be aware of the likely response before jamming your foot into your mouth and down your throat.
Here are some of the posts that have already come from this story:
UPDATE: Here is Motrin’s Response.
Read more about failures in marketing on Media Caffeine.
Posted on: Sunday, November 16th, 2008
Posted in: Featured, Social Media Marketing
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Comments: 55 Responses
November 16th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
[...] Media Caffeine [...]
November 17th, 2008 at 6:03 am
There is nothing wrong with this ad. People need to get over themselves. Oh no, the baby wearing contingent is mad!!!!! No one cares.
November 17th, 2008 at 6:21 am
No doubt about it, watch out for baby carrying mommies.
jess
http://www.privacy.cz.tc
November 17th, 2008 at 6:22 am
“On Twitter, the conversations have been furious.”
Methinks you all need to go outside and find a life.
November 17th, 2008 at 6:28 am
Isn’t there anything better to be outraged at?
mgrovess last blog post..Catherine Vogt
November 17th, 2008 at 6:29 am
The other absurd notion is that women breastfeeding are advised to follow the same drug restrictions as pregnant women; motrin’s active ingredient is on the avoid list. Besides, where are the men carrying the baby? They can certainly carry a baby.
November 17th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Why in the name of god does anyone pay the extra couple of bucks to buy Motrin or Advil when they can get store-brand ibuprofen, which is exactly the same thing, and doesn’t try to patronize you with a brain-dead advertising campaign?
Again, it’s exactly the same thing. There is no secret ingredient, no special sauce, no magic headache fairies, nothing. Ibuprofen is ibuprofen, much like salt is salt. There is no better quality ibuprofen. There is only more or less ibuprofen.
If you continue to give people a reason to make brand-name ibuprofen, you will continue to have to put up with stupid ads like this.
November 17th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Wow, no wonder women make less and are taken less seriously. This is the crap they are ‘up in arms’ about. Get a life.
November 17th, 2008 at 6:47 am
[...] dumb as a brick, and you want to work in marketing, where could you end up working? How about for Motrin? I’ve got to say, I didn’t think the ad was that bad, but then, hey, I’m not a [...]
November 17th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Well, the good news is they’re not picking on baby-wearing dads like myself - just our wives/girlfriends/partners.
If I were to make-up a reason and push it to its conclusion I’d say that the makers of Motrin either:
(a) don’t care about dads as a demographic
(b) maybe think mothers need pain meds but dads just soldier on
(c) are not aware that there are a such thing as a ‘dad’ and only now started shooting an ad encouraging that dads who play with their kids take pain-killers, cos ya know, your back might get sore…
I think its highly irresponsible of marketers at Motrin to ignore the plight of the poor babies that have to sit in these harnesses - what about their back pain!? Where’s the Motrin for babies?
November 17th, 2008 at 6:53 am
What’s it like having a sexist wife?
November 17th, 2008 at 7:01 am
It’s not “in fashion”; women have done this for milenia. I did it ten years ago. And it’s not “wearing your baby”, it’s carrying your baby while keeping your hands free to do the million other things you need to do.
I haven’t read any of the links yet, so that’s my first reaction.
November 17th, 2008 at 7:01 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vq-q7vdM50
enough said
November 17th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Thanks for posting about this! We will no longer be buying motrin!
hyperactive lus last blog post..If You Wanna…
November 17th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Boy the public is brutal. So they made a mistake - but never buy their product again? I hope people treat you better than you are treating them.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:03 am
I don’t get it. I mean, the video wasn’t aimed at me, but I don’t see where the anti-Motrin intensity is coming from.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:25 am
We’re in a recession, spending billions of dollars on a war, our education system is a joke, scandals run rampant with government officials and this is what people are complaining about? Seriously? SERIOUSLY!?!?!? To be an American is to complain about the most miniscule things imaginable.
It’s a commercial. Change the channel… Or maybe instead of complaining about something on TV, spend some time with your over-privileged brat and educate them on the ways that they can provide a positive impact on society. Oh wait, that may involve some effort – Better buy some Motrin while you’re at it.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Baby carrying IS a fashion. It’s all about these stupid designer mom women. Yes, women have been carrying babies in carriers for thousands of years. So why is it a fashion now and not then? Because of attitude. Women who carry their babies this way for practicality see the “official Mom” line in the Motrin commercial and laugh because they know exactly the kind of women the ad is talking about. Women who wear their baby carriers the way the Pharisees wore their extra large phylacteries.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Dr. Awkward, just the other day I was buying pain relief and was shocked at how expensive it was. I bought a 100 count of aspirin for .99.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:31 am
This is not *nearly* as bad as the Tampax “Pearl” ads a year or so ago: “Tampax Pearl: As unique as you are”. Aside from the bad idea of introducing plastic applicators which litter landfills, and the questionable use of the word “unique”, it will never fail to amaze me that the majority of the people sitting around a conference table agreed that women would like to be compared to tampons. Idiocy.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Things like this are exactly why I will never have kids. Once women have kids, they no longer think of anything else, and it’s kind of pathetic. Can’t you women go protest something else? Like the fact that you still don’t have equal rights in the workplace? One stupid medicine ad is not enough to get so upset over. Go breastfeed your babies and shut up already.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:14 am
The article is interesting - the comments here are appalling. Apparently if you don’t like being told that your parenting style is A) just a fad and B) causes physical pain and you complain about it, you’re shallow. Who knew? I also had no idea that being annoyed at Motrin for a stupid and patronizing ad means I can’t care about anything else that’s occurring in the world!
The things you learn reading blogs….
November 17th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Thank you, kate. I have been waiting for someone to speak up. We allow all opinions here - it’s only spam comments that we don’t allow - but many of these comments weren’t exactly the reaction that I expected. I’m glad to see your comment added to the mix.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:33 am
The comments are making the same mistake that Motrin did - women are silly, stupid, shallow, vapid creatures with nothing in their heads other than what the latest trend or fad tells them to think. We’re apparently incapable of getting outraged and taking action over the “right” issues, so we’re ridiculed for taking action on any issue. No matter what women do, what our personal cause is, someone is out there waving their hands and proclaiming that it just goes to show you that women can’t manage to get our tiny minds around the idea of effective organizing and actually making a difference. Interestingly, you can see people doing this no matter what the issue is, and no matter what the action taken, and no matter what the result of the action.
Frankly, things like Twitter take very little time to use. Same things with messageboards and blogs - we’re not putting together a march on Washington, or even leaving voicemail messages. We’re taking ten seconds while the baby is asleep or our daughters are at swim class or while we’re waiting for a soccer game to log online and interact with each other. Twitter restricts comment length - you can’t get wordy even if you WANT to. But you can send an alert around to other online moms, and maybe someone has a babysitter that afternoon, or someone else has fifteen minutes free on her lunchbreak, and people who DO have time can take action.
I think the ad was patronizing and silly. I think it was a perfect example of how many advertising companies see mothers - which is also the way many of the commenters here seem to see us.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Also - and excuse me for running on here, but this whole aspect of the matter interests me - how is it that this turned from a discussion of “Motrin did something that pissed a lot of people off, and social media allowed those pissed off people to interact” into “Hey, those people shouldn’t have gotten mad and/or offended, they need to get a life!” Is the issue that Motrin’s ad agency pulled a boneheaded, badly researched move, or is the issue that moms can’t be trusted to get angry about the “right” issues?
To me, the truly interesting part of this is that social media went NUTS with this topic, and that the ad was taken down in response to something other than a letter-writing campaign or a boycott. Truly shows the power of things like Twitter and Facebook!
November 17th, 2008 at 11:49 am
[...] Media Caffeine: “Motrin Learns: Hell Hath No Fury Like Baby-Wearing Moms” [...]
November 17th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
What’s the big deal? It’s not anti-babywearing for Christ’s sake, get over yourselves. Yeah, wearing a kid can cause your body to hurt…take some drugs. That’s the long & short of it.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Well, I just think it is stupid to insult the your chosen demographic. “Hey ladies who wear their babies - we know that sometimes you can have aches and pains, so take some Motrin!” Ok, even if it’s not really that accurate. But to tack on the stuff about it being a fad and about trying to look like a mom, etc., is just idiotic. Who are the ad wizards who came up with that one?
November 17th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Wow… It always amazes me how ignorant people can be about things they have no experience with. People are upset because they are being mocked for their parenting choices. “Here, you fashonista! Your “mom” badge and your Motrin. Way to keep up appearances, you poor, poor mama.”
Carriers can be fashionable, yes. I know many moms who would use one whether it were pretty or not, we certainly shouldn’t be made fun of because we choose to have a pretty one if we’re gonna use it anyway. So should people who buy pretty shoes be the target of the next commercial? I mean, they’re not for fashion… they’re to protect your feet. And you had better get some Motrin because they may rub. Or have improper arch support. Or pinch your toes. Especially you stiletto wearers!
The outcry is because the ad specifically targets a group of people and makes them look silly for what they do. Like the only reason to wear your baby is for that nearly-attainable “mom” badge. Reasons I’ve worn my daughter (currently 10mos) include: so I could interact with my toddler while the baby needed to be held, so we could sleep when she was sick and would only sleep upright and on my chest, on walks with my family and 3yo, at the park so I could push my toddler, at the grocery store so I could buy food for my family and still push the cart. In none of those cases was I trying to impress anyone, prove my abilities as a mom, or be “pretty”. I was caring for my family, trying to have time for everyone and get things done. Being a mom isn’t a very glorified position, if wearing your baby helps you to get through the day with a smile on your face or at least hair on your head, and having a nice one helps you to feel a little prettier, why should that become fodder for insult?
Babywearing has only recently become “trendy”. There are loads of moms who did it before anyone knew what they were doing or there was an official name for it. (Not to mention people in less developed cultures where it is just a part of life.) Moms have HUGE buying power, I really don’t understand how this made it all the way to the TV and internet and no one thought it might offend their target audience.
Realistically, they should do an ad for people carrying those darn bucket car seats around. They’re way more awkward and ergonomically incorrect than sticking a baby in a wrap.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Its the fact that the commercial isn’t telling the truth. Babywearing- if done properly- will not hurt. Also, it does portray baby wearing mothers are slightly stupid for only following the trends. I baby wear because it does help me with my 3 yr old. I have free hands to help him getting in and out of the buggy, crossing the street, etc. Its much easier on the mom to baby wear than to have to carry the baby seat everywhere or have to deal with a large stroller and a walking preschoolers or toddler. If they were going to try to market to BABY WEARING mothers, I wouldn’t have done it this way. Bad PR.
hyperactive lus last blog post..Take That Motrin
November 17th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
[...] Motrin Learns: Hell Hath No Fury Like Baby-Wearing Moms | Media Caffeine (tags: advertising pr twitter motrin drugs) [...]
November 17th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Actually, the first thing I thought of when I saw this article was laughter..and the thought “boy, a lot of Moms are gonna be MAD….”.
Man, I was soooooo right. lol
November 17th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I loled hard at that video. It was so condescending and awkward.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
@Slainna
I did too, but my first thought was “is this a joke”? What’s even funnier are the comments made here by men. It goes to show that men were definitely the ones behind this ad. This ad is trashy and stupid. Moms are upset and should be that such a big name as Motrin would be so ignorant and insensitive to moms. To imply that moms “wear” their babies, and then go on to say “what’s next, babies on the side” ,or something to that affect, and that its a fad, is just plain idiotic. Woman have been doing this for ages, in many cultures. To mock mothers is simply the dumbest thing you could do, especially if that is who you are trying to market to.
There are so many other things they could have made an example of that would give us (women) a headache and a reason to take Motrin…trust me, and to actually use carrying your baby in such a negative tone wasn’t the wisest of choices obviously.
So, to all those men who say “just get over it”, and “get a life”, next time we see an ad that says.. Hair replacement is just a fad..what’s next, penis enlargment?…don’t whine about how insinsitive it would be to your manliness. The fact is, you wouldn’t see it, that would be too personal. Well, in case you didn’t know, motherhood is too.
November 18th, 2008 at 12:21 am
[...] Bloomberg, Moms Give Motrin a Headache by David Armano, The #motrinmoms Lesson by Susan Getgood Motrin learns hell hath no fury like baby wearing moms by Media Caffeine and The Real Problem with the Motrin Ads by Peter Shankman, just to name a few. [...]
November 18th, 2008 at 11:14 am
I don’t get it… that ad was great! I don’t see how they are “mocking” mothers. Talk about sensitive, sheesh! How many times can you run the same ol’ “Construction worker with the sore back” commercial for pain medication? They should have tacked on the end of the commercial, “If this commercial got your blood boiling, try Midol PMS!”
November 18th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
[...] images during International Baby Wearing Week as well as the same week Motrin was asked to pull an advertisement that rocked the baby wearing world as it falsely represented baby wearing. (Thankfully they [...]
November 18th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Ha ha, I wore my first child some for awhile simply because she liked it for walks and going to the store. I would hate to think anyone thought I did it cuz it was a fad but if they did WHO CARES! I know why I did it and yes, sometimes it made my back hurt when she was getting bigger. And I didn’t wear my second at all cuz she hated it! But sorry Motrin, a good back rub usually worked much better for pain than taking an over the counter drug. =/
November 18th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
I love when men get nervous when silly, stupid women assert their power.
Yes, dear, we do get ticked off about bigger issues, too. But, here’s a place where you could knock us back down with sexist, misogynistic rants and feel good about yourself.
Motherhood is the final outpost of holding onto the idea that women are second-class citizens and not a threat to your patriarchal power structures. Well, you’re wrong about that. First is Motrin. Next thing you know, we’ll turn your corner office into a breast pumping room. But you make yourself feel better by calling us silly and stupid.
What’s even more telling than moms being outraged is a bunch of pencil-penises getting outraged by the outrage. Don’t you have some Viagra to buy online?
November 19th, 2008 at 12:21 am
@ T:
Men wouldn’t care about penis size if women wouldn’t care about it. The ball’s in your court.
Just sayin’.
November 19th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I understand the argument the women are making as to why this add was offensive. I just don’t understand how they would derive that anger from that add. I understand that I am male and don’t understand what its like to be a mother but some of the arguments just seem like you were maybe reading a little too much into the add? Maybe I’m also just desensitized towards issues such as these.
On the other hand, I figure I must be missing something since a lot of woman got angry for seemingly the same reasons.
November 19th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
As a woman I respect the choices women make regarding how to raise their children. However, I am no feminist and I think that you as mothers would be too busy taking care of your children than to be online whining about a stupid ad.
I mean first of all, who even goes to Motrin.com anyway? You have nothing better to do?
And Second of all, International Baby Wearing Month? WTF????
All you sling fanatics need to get off your pedestal. Like you are better than everyone else because you wear your child everywhere like a new Gucci handbag.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:57 am
Anything goes today.
What’s the big deal?
November 24th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Hi everyone,
We just finished researching the viral video impact of the Motrin campaign and discovered some intriguing results. The short-lived campaign attracted around 400,00 views, 25% of which were generated by video responses to the ad (like the one posted here). Check out the rest of our results at our blog:
http://www.visiblemeasures.com/news-and-events/blog/
December 9th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
[...] few weeks ago, net-savvy mothers raised a Twitter stink about a Motrin ad that suggested wearing a baby close to “the bod” was a bothersome fashion accessory [...]
December 15th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Something for the gentlemen who can’t relate to why this ad is offensive to think about…
Imagine if Motrin made an ad that said, “Hey guys! We know all those hours you spend sitting on your butt in the football stadium can be a real pain in the gluteus maximus and the back; and we also know you just do it to look cool and manly in front of the guys (wink wink). We’ve heard that SUPPOSEDLY being a football fan is a real macho thing to do, and helps you BOND with your buddies. So even though everyone thinks you look crazy jumping around with your team colors on, don’t worry. Here’s Motrin to the rescue.
OK… You’ve just been told that something you actually enjoy is painful (untrue), and you are just a poser to do it in the first place, and people think you look crazy. Get why it’s offensive yet?
December 15th, 2008 at 8:12 am
For Guys Who Don’t Get Why this Commercial was offensive to women… what if it said:
Watching Football seems to be in fashion.
I mean, in theory it’s a great idea
There’s the touchdowns, the tailgating, the wave and the big foam finger.
And who knows what else they’ve come up with. Booths for you to shout obsenities at in the gas station, sideline season tickets.
Supposedly, it’s a real bonding experience.
They say that teams with lots of fans tend to cry less than others.
But what about me? Do guys who spend hours sitting in hard stadium chairs screaming for their team cry more than those who don’t?
I sure do!
Those stadium seats put a ton of strain on your back, your neck, your shoulders. Did I mention your back?!
I mean, I’ll put up with the pain because it’s a good kind of pain; it’s for my team.
Plus, it totally makes me look like an official macho dude.
And so if I look tired and crazy, from drinking too much beer and wearing my team colors painted on my face, people will understand why.
December 29th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
[...] November Motrin put out a video implying that baby-wearing is fashionable. The worlds moms were not amused. Try searching Twitter for #motrinmoms. Twitter, YouTube, and blogs galore blasted Motrin; calling [...]
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:34 am
[...] hur folk är funtade. Och varumärken. Och hur Facebook tänker. Har de inte lärt sig ett skit av Motrin-händelserna? when targeting an ad campaign after a specific demographic, try not to piss that demographic off [...]
January 27th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
What a strange concept, but I suppose it’s not as bizzare as some of the fashion “statements” that are made today!
janeHallowells last blog post..Reborn Babies for Sale
March 12th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I’m outraged that mom’s are outraged at this ad and not outraged at absolutely every other idiodic thing in America. …I’m sooo booorrred with the U…S…A! - Get a LIFE.
April 8th, 2009 at 11:20 am
[...] November Motrin put out a video implying that baby-wearing is fashionable. The worlds moms were not amused. Try searching Twitter for #motrinmoms. Twitter, YouTube, and blogs galore blasted Motrin; calling [...]
May 18th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
[...] attempted social media marketing campaign went terribly wrong for Motrin. When they put out this Motrin Ad in hopes of appealing to their target audience, they did the exact opposite. They insulted and [...]
July 16th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
[...] to CrunchyDomesticGoddess & MediaCaffeine for the [...]
July 28th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I need all this information for my future baby I guess. I also can inform people who need help.