Commentary

Cry Babies

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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