Cry Babies

by Erik Sass, Jul 20, 2006, 2:34 PM

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Many mainstream advertisers are still unsure whether to enter MySpace, the popular social networking site recently purchased by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. They’re deterred by the racy user-generated content that often results when real humans — teenagers, specifically — express themselves. And then there’s Pimpfants.

Yes, that’s a combination of the words “pimp” and “infants,” and yes, it’s a brand — a brand of clothing for small children. According to its Web site, Pimpfants is “more than a name, it’s a movement,” intent on “allowing babies and tots everywhere...to hit the playground with fresh gear and street cred.”

Pimpfants is the brainchild of Jared Parsons, 31, of Portland, Ore. Parsons, a graphic artist, hit on the idea of skater-influenced toddle gear after his first son was born four years ago. From its February 2006 birth, Pimpfants has earned a huge amount of buzz — which is where MySpace enters the picture.

Steven Ustaris, group media director for Carat Fusion, has worked with MySpace on projects for big-name brands that like the site’s edge. While some may see MySpace as a minefield, Ustaris says, “If you’re doing something that’s direct response, or especially if you’re trying to get into a specific scene, you’ve got to go down to that user level.”

For a brand like Pimpfants, MySpace might actually be a safer venue, presenting the brand in a more human light. While bloggers paint Pimpfants as a sign of the collapse of Western civilization, the MySpace profile allows you see that the clothes are actually, well…pretty cute.

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