• Ad Age, Promo , Monday, November 24, 2008 10:45 AM

Jack Neff's article suggests that Johnson and Johnson may have overreacted to a "flash-flood" of negative tweets and mommy blog comments about its Motrin ad that suggested that baby carriers were fashion statements and a general pain in the back.

"Most online buzz about Motrin-gate was either positive or neutral in tone toward J&J and the ads, according to analyses by Tom Martin, president of Zehnder Communications, New Orleans, and Lexalytics," Neff writes. Martin suggests that J&J should have kept the ad in place on its Web site, apologized to those who were offended, and used the brouhaha as a dialogable moment.

Promo, meanwhile, asked readers if they thought the ad was funny and people "need to lighten up," or if it was "in poor taste." Sentiment amongst the self-selecting marketing types was running about three to one in favor of people chillin'.

Read the whole story at Ad Age, Promo »