First positive thing I’ve seen all day on this topic. Thank you, Katja, for sharing the correspondence.

WOW, the power of Twitter and You Tube is amazing.

At least the PR firm did respond in the correct manor.

- Doc

Katja-

You did a very honorable thing today with your video and the posts you made. They were heartfelt and to the point. Clearly, this letter appears to show that the ripple effect has reached the right people.

The list of posts I have on my blog is growing by leaps and bounds. What that shows is that you are the candle that lights each of us up as I stated in my Friday Friends post (http://tinyurl.com/3qf39p)

You have obviously lit the way for Motrin executives now too. Congratulations! You should be proud of yourself! We are are all proud of you!

Tina
@newoldmom
@bestreflections

Maybe motrin will post a video on the correct way to use the carriers in order to prevent pain and actual harm from using medication to cover up pain arising from improper carrier use.

This YouTube response is great - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j47elDsoBvM.

Katja, thanks for all your hard work tracking this and for your posts today.

Many bloggers - like Peter from HARO - suspected that there were no Moms involved in this launch. In fact, as we see, the VP of Marketing in charge of Motrin is a Mom of three.

This just goes to show that the “Mom market” is not monolithic.

I just find it bizarre that this is the second MAJOR mistake J&J has made with regard to Moms and social media. Remember the blogging getaway brou-ha-ha when they wouldn’t allow nursing Moms to bring their babies? Now we understand - they were worried about their backs!

Katja,

Thank you for all you’ve done to shine a light on McNeil’s 4-Motrin-Migraine that absolutely did not need to happen. Considering that J&J owns McNeil AND the number one parenting site Babycenter.com, you’d kind of think the two like-minded companies would not be so silo’d. Babycenter has a huge and active community, many of whom would have been happy to preview the video. I noted that VP Kathy did not say if they had researched or consulted with Moms re the campaign. I am also wondering why McNeil’s ad and PR agencies are not all over Twitter at least part of the weekend. Guess they will be now! Again, thank you, Katja. Cheers, Sarah aka Guru of New

I like that she acknowledged that the moms were disappointed and didn’t just reference a generic “concern.” That’s stand up.

So, will it (finally) end here?
Folks, complained. Company reacted.
Twitter certainly help create the buzz. But let’s not start drinking the KoolAid. It’s a great great medium but until it cures cancer, I’m still thinking it’s just a communications tool just like the telephone, text messaging, the fax, email….

I just feel like MotrinMoms want to HURT this company because they “rubbed someone the wrong way.” Let our free enterprise do the work. Stop buying Motrin and buy Advil. That will get it done.

this dad uses generic ibuprofen when his kids climb on him all day

Twitter for Prez,

I think it is better Motrin is contacted, but you hit it on the head when you state they wanted to “…HURT this company because they “rubbed someone the wrong way.”

Think if all of this energy was used to end world hunger or bridge communication gaps! A crap commercial is a crap commmercial, not a call for arms.

I absolutely agree with T for Pres. It’s time for MotrinMoms to grab a martini and move on to the next the item on the hit list.

Next on the agenda should be those toilet paper ads that show the mamma bear wiping it’s butt. Now that is offensive to me- are they saying Moms have butts as big as and as hairy as a bear’s?

@I Have A Headache: Stay tuned. Look at the #MotrinMoms channel and you’ll see folks now nominating new targets. We are evolving into a “scorch the earth” mentality.

@AJ - are you kidding me? That’s like asking the drug companies to invest in preventative care. That doesn’t make money! Silly thought, no?

Now if YOU produced that video, J&J might hire you just so you couldn’t do it again. Sort of like hackers who are hired by the government.

WOOOOHOOO! Great job Katja!!! They listened!

I always happy for a company that decides to apologize and do the right thing!

Remarkable, I didn’t get any response to my email to them.

How can I see the commercial now that it has been taken down to see what all of the fuss is about?

Great response from Motrin - hopefully, they will also publicly post something to the same effect on the site - given that not everyone who was offended may find this right away.

Great job Katja - and to everyone who said “no” to this ad.

I don’t believe her. She said they wanted to demonstrate genuine sympathy and appreciation for what moms do for their kids? You don’t do that by mocking them and telling them that they only wear their babies because it is the trendy thing to do.

I think she went into damage control mode and is trying to spin the ad and market it as something it was not really meant to be. I think they thought it’d be really funny, but it just…wasn’t.

Sorry, I am not offended by the ad. Nor is my daughter who lived on Motrin while she was carrying around her own babies.

I think the company sincerely wanted to offer an option for those who have physical pain. If that’s not you, then great. Ignore the ad.

I’m pretty amazed at how everyone wants to jump on this bandwagon - even to the point of “not believing” a respectful response from the company.

Have we become so politically correct that we think we can dictate everyone else’s approach or point of view? Sounds rather small and petty to me. I thought this was a country of tolerance? Reading all the things I have read about this today depresses me greatly. But then watching other such things that are happening in this country does the same thing.

We can have Redneck comedy and violence on TV, we can laugh at idiot jokes that put other people down, we can watch multiple murders and violence towards children on TV every day, but PUH-LEEZ don’t imply that a mother might have a backache after lifting the kids all day. And certainly, don’t offer a remedy for it.

I am surprised that the company responded so quickly. I’m sure you’re proud of yourself.

So — wonder if she talked to Lisa Sanders, director of corporate communications for Taxi NYC which is the agency they are paying $18 million for their creative? Or maybe to Daniel the president of NY agency?? Did you see my posts about talking to the agency at 12 noon today — they appeared totally clueless when I called them http://tinyurl.com/mmotrin and http:tinyurl.com/motringate

This is an interesting Marketing/PR/Social Media case study, but
Kudos to Kathy Widmer, even if it was a form letter email to several folks.

I just have never expected much from advertising since art/commerce of Apple 1984 or VW Pink Moon or any number of cool European ads.

I guess I understand the insults felt, but I’m thinking we’re all really missing the intensity of the Election

K, why should mothers have tolerance for something that doesn’t show much tolerance or respect for them? Mocking someone is a form of intolerance. And I don’t think we needed to be mocked to know that Motrin exists for any physical pain we may have. I, for one, have always known that I can pop some ibuprofen when I hurt. I didn’t need my parenting choices belittled so that I could be informed.

Had they wanted to show sympathy for everything moms go through…why not show moms lifting heavy strollers into cars? Or carrying a baby on one hip and groceries on the other? Or lugging around a 10 pound carseat with a 15 pound baby in it? Or bending over repeatedly to pick up toys? Why latch onto this *one* thing as their subject of teasing?

I fail to see how “redneck comedy and violence on tv, [etc.]” has anything to do with this ad or how people feel about it.

Nobody is asking you to be offended, but please don’t tell us we aren’t allowed to be. You don’t get to dictate how other people feel.

Hi Katja. I found this Motrin situation quite interesting and ended up staying a few hours later just to research and write about it in my blog. If you have a moment, check it out and let me know what you think.

http://tinyurl.com/65d9fr

“… my daughter lived on Motrin …”
“… I can pop some ibuprofen when I hurt …”

hmmmmmmmm ……… better living thru chemistry?
now I’M offended!

I mentioned you in my post today. Excellent job!!

The advertisement was such that it was one woman expressing her thoughts. No wonder “cat fights” are so much fun to watch.

http://mobasoft.com/wordpress/2008/11/17/motrin-backlash-gives-me-a-headache/

Hi Katja,

Liked the vid. Interesting to see the email from the VP.

This is a bona fide phenomenon and people will be writing case studies about this for years, I suspect!

Julie

Just goes to show you there is power in numbers. When something upsets us we need to speak out. They truly missed the mark with this one and I hope not to see another replacement one on this topic again.

May I suggest it’s time to put your feet back on the ground and stop slappin’ yourself on the back?? Give Mrs. Widmer credit for listening and taking swift action. I’ve rarely seen such a quick and humble response in corporate America. Plus - do you really believe they wanted to offend Moms?? Get real. They want to connect with Moms. They just didn’t realize there was a very small group of you who were so sensitive…and loved to twitter. There are more important things to focus our energy on…

First, I wrote an email to the company and I have not yet received a response from them. I think we all should. Perhaps it is on the way.

Second, there is an interesting letter to McNeil from the sponsors of International Babywearing Week here: http://babywearinginternational.org/pages/motrinresponse.php

Perhaps it will help some people understand why moms were offended.

“the fact reminds?” seriously?

Wow. your negative response to this ad is incredulous. Motrin is a bunch of p***ys for even dignifying your reaction with a response. this isnt even proof that you all have no sense of humor. it is proof that you have no sense at all. that’s what the VP should have said.

pathetic. shame on you. shame on them for listening to you. get a hobby. get a real cause. fight for the envoronment, the injustices in society, not for a f****ing commercial that makes light of… carrying a friggen baby! geeeeeez.

Are you people serious? All this flap about a cute and funny advertisement? Oh my god. Get real people. There are real problems out there. And the motrin ad just does not strike me as meriting any kind of outrage. It’s funny.

Totally agreed. Wear ANYTHING on your back, side, front, whatever all day and it’s going to hurt your back. THAT’S THE POINT! The ad says nothing about whether it is wrong to wear your damn baby - just that it can hurt.

i get it, i get it - you moms want to be heard. fine. have your spotlight. at least i dont have to feel bad not giving you my train seat next time. clearly carying a baby all day is no pain at all. go ahead. stand.