• by Les Luchter , Yesterday

Ever wondered what the “B” in Cardi B stood for?

Though the rap superstar has explained it various ways, organic infant formula brand Bobbie announced “The B is for Bobbie,” when naming Cardi B its “Chief Confidence Officer” one month ago. It was all part of campaign launched just weeks after a jury found Cardi B innocent of assault charges in a high-profile trial.

The star’s manager had initially approached Bobbie about working with the brand, recalled Kim Chappell, chief brand officer, during her keynote address Monday at MediaPost’s CPG Brand Insider Summit.

“She was ‘NFSB’ -- not safe for brand” and known for her frequent use of profanity,” Chappell noted. “But she worked for us, because she’s so f’in confident in who she is, what she believes in, and her job is a working mom of three, pregnant with her fourth, supporting her family. That confidence and unapologetic nature is exactly how we show up as a mom-led brand.”

The campaign’s hero spot features “Cardi Bobbie” answering questions from four real Bobbie users.

“I'm thinking about combo feeding, but I'm feeling really guilty about it,” says one of the users. “Just like me, baby, you're not guilty,” answers Cardi Bobbie. “However you feed your baby, just make sure you do it with confidence.”

“We let Cardi be Cardi,” explained Chappell. Since the celeb was also named Chief Confidence Officer, “we launched the whole campaign on LinkedIn.”

Other media used included streaming TV, digital media, YouTube, and out-of-home, including a Times Square billboard takeover.

Campaign results have included 6.6 million views of Cardi B’s launch post, with the video receiving a total of over two years and 330 days of viewing time, Chappell revealed.

“We had 98% positive sentiment and comments, 36 pieces of top-tier press, and 1.8 billion impressions for the campaign,” she elaborated. Among Gen Z parents, she added, Bobbie’s net promoter score rose 195%, trust level 125% and reputation score 47%. Among millennial parents there was an 83% favorability gain.

Significantly, the campaign’s direct call-to-action was not to purchase Bobbie infant formua, but to advocate for paid parental leave. On a web hub and other media, parents were encouraged to “call 1-732-QQ-CARDI and leave a voicemail about how the lack of paid leave or access to safe births has impacted you in this country,” Chappelle noted.

“We have 1,000 voicemails from parents around the country, we’re using AI to turn those into letters, and we’re shipping them to Congress,” she stated.

Handled through Bobbie for Change, the brand’s advocacy arm, eight of the callers will also receive funds to cover three months of paid leave -- $580 monthly, or $1,740 total -- which mirrors the figures in Congress’ proposed Family Act.

Chappelle told Summit attendees that Bobbie feels a “responsibility…to show up for societal problems” that serve parents. “Every single person that comes through the Bobbie ecosystem is impacted in one way or another by paid leave,” she stated. “We are the only developed country that doesn't have paid leave for new parents. It needs to change.”

She urged other marketers in attendance: “If you're going to take a stand, don't do it in the shadows. Get out there and fight for it. Sometimes that can feel scary because getting political can feel scary.

“But if you're rooted in your truth and you're rooted in your why, then you have every right to go do that. So make it a part of every brand touchpoint.”