cause-related

Group Urges Mothers To Avoid 'Booby Traps'

Babes

A three-year-old not-for-profit is looking to inject a little humor into the debate about breastfeeding via an ad in USA Today.

With the silhouette of a woman's bust, the ad -- which ran in three markets as part of a special supplement in the newspaper -- says in its headline "The real miracle isn't the bra," and goes on to praise instead mothers' ability to make milk for their children. Copy in the ad encourages women to find support to navigate the "Booby Traps" that act as barriers to keep them from breastfeeding.

"We want to shift the pressure off moms and onto the barriers," Bettina Forbes, co-founder of the group Best for Babes, tells Marketing Daily. "The deeper message is you need help and you can't trust everybody. There are things you need to know if you want to succeed at breastfeeding."

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"Everybody likes to have a laugh," Forbes says. While many ads that promote breastfeeding take a heavy-handed approach that virtually shames a mother into breastfeeding, Forbes hopes the lighthearted approach shows the subject can be handled wryly.

The ad is an attempt by the organization to raise awareness of the World Health Organization's International Code for Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes (a/k/a the "WHO-Code"). The ad also gives a shout-out to many of the organization's supporters such as Evenflo, Numom Nutrition, Pumpease, 60 Second Parent, My Baby Experts, Earth Mama Angel Baby, My Milkies and Be Nice, who are WHO-Code compliant.

"They're [companies] who appreciate our fresh approach that's not about hitting moms over the heads," Forbes says. "We support moms whether they decide to breastfeed for two weeks, two months or two years, or even those that don't, as long as they make an informed decision."

Unlike government and state breastfeeding campaigns that have come under fire for using scare tactics, unappealing visuals, or making moms feel judged or guilty, the Best for Babes ad campaign is eye-catching and designed to cheer on, coach and celebrate moms.

 

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