Friday, March 9, 2012

Huggies - A Contrarian's View on The Dad Test Ad

A couple of weeks ago, I found out about the Huggies ad that has since created a giant backlash and a possible PR nightmare for Huggies. Before the backlash reached its current peak, being mentioned in the Washington Post (as well as on dozens of blogs) and forcing Huggies to apologize on its Facebook page, I left a comment on Huggies' Facebook page. My comment was answered by Huggies, and I moved on. I've been ready to move on ever since, and I'm waiting for the rest of the Internet to do the same.

https://www.facebook.com/huggies/posts/10150589027919387
Click on the image to see the original comment and the additional ones left by Daddy Mojo and Chad Walch

My comment:

Hey, Huggies. I love you like you were my own. And I have to say you're usually great about featuring competent dads. But the commercial about dads giving moms "a well-deserved time off" parenting assumes dads are helpers rather than primary care-givers. And apparently there's new commercial showing dads ignoring their "full" babies while watching TV. I've actually seen a couple of bloggers complaining, so I hope you address what I assume was an unintentional offense.
Huggies' response:

Hi A Blogger and A Father, we're happy to hear that you love us, but truly sorry if our commercial offended you. In our recent ads, we recruited real Dads and their babies to put our diapers and wipes to the test in real life scenarios. We love Dads. Many of us are Dads! And like you, we change diapers, wipe messes and are hands-on participants in raising kids… just like Moms. Yes, we could’ve done the Mom Test, but we wanted to celebrate fatherhood and all the fun – and challenges -- that go with it.

So here's my point.

While I understand the rage out there (and the picture on Daddy Doctrines is hilarious), and I understand where the backlash is coming from, I'm also ready to move on and accept Huggies' word that any offense was unintentional and that what we have here is a short-sighted campaign from a company that did not take into account the fact that dads were (justifiably) sensitive to the bumbling, out-of-touch-dad stereotype. They made a mistake, they acknowledged it, and we should move on. Yes, it was offensive, but was Huggies more offensive than Amazon, a company that intentionally excludes dads with their Amazon Mom program? Was it more offensive than Philips AVENT, Playetx, Diapers.com, 1-800-Flowers, and more companies I've mentioned in the past because they ignored fatherhood?

I may be accused of being a hypocrite here. I've been fighting the "This is no big deal" and "First-World problems" detractors for a long time, arguing that the way the mainstream media and large brands treat dads was important because it affected the way society viewed dads and the way they viewed themselves, so why am I taking the opposite view here?

Back in the olden days, before I realized I didn't need cable, I used to watch Sprout channel a lot. This Huggies Little Movers commercial came on at least three times an hour:


I'm sorry. I've complained many times about fathers not standing up together against companies, and about us not following the example set by blogging moms, whose raging voices were echoing throughout the blogosphere as one, creating real, positive change... Well, I'm sorry, but you have to count me out on this one. And I'm sorry for using the word blogosphere, by the way.

But if we're willing to buy from the truly offensive Amazon because it's cheaper, and if we're willing to buy from Playtex and Philips, then we should be able to give the benefit of the doubt to a company that miscalculated the wording of its campaign, especially when that company has a history of including competent, loving dads in its ads. And now if you'll excuse me, I'll go watch that "Little Movers" video again.







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20 comments:

  1. Now that is a GREAT commercial... I'm with you on this by the way. The only people that are making dads look bad are dads themselves. Let's move on.

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  2. Yep, you're right.Everybody makes mistakes, even dads. loved the video!

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  3. Is that the one where all the babies are sitting on the dad's laps? If so...I actually saw that one. And found it kind of confusing actually.

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  4. Daddy's in Charge?, thing is, I also didn't want to align myself with the "who cares" crowd. I do care--I just think the collective rage would have been better applied to real offenders, like Philips and Amazon, rather then to a company that's actually pretty good about this stuff.

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  5. anordinarydad, right? I never make mistakes, though. I have an app that tells me when my girl's diaper is full. I don't, really, but now that it's out there, I plan to sue the first person who comes up with that.

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  6. Jill, thing is, I personally don't like watching dads do things dads are supposed to do, because I don't do any of that stuff. But I guess football-watching stereotypes sell better than showing dads sitting together and watching Rachel Maddow.

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  7. When there are so many serious issues out there, I'm with you in thinking that people are starting to see Facebook as THE place for social change when, in fact, their issues are strictly personal. Let's all sit back, take a deep breath and count to something-or-other before launching a campaign on Facebook! Is this REALLY necessary? Good for you!!!

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  8. are you sure yall are dads, because yall are crying like a bunch of women.

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  9. As a dad myself, I say get thicker skin. Sorry your feelings were hurt. Maybe the real 'Dad Test' should be you wearing a huggies diaper because you all sound like a bunch of cry babies.

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  10. I was deeply offended by the ad, and was going to go onto facebook to complain, but the game was on in an hour, and I was out of beer. Missed the game anyway, because on my way back, Sears was having a tool sale, then my truck stalled, and had to unleash the horses to pull it home. At this point, I realized my erection had lasted 4-1/2 hrs, so I had to seek medial treatment.

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  11. Yeah see I only saw the commercial the one time and I'm having trouble remembering it at all, except for the fact that it seemed to imply that babies diapers would be wetter and/or leakier if they were sitting on dad's lap rather than someone else's lap. I mean...surely the baby doesn't really have it in for dad's pants in particular, right? :-) Bu

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  12. Oops. I obviously had something else to say there at the end...

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  13. Totally agree. Huggies has acknowledged their mistake and seem to sincerely want to do better. We should give them the chance to do just that and not be so quick to write them off.

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  14. Nana, I'm not sure. First of all, Facebook, like other social media sites, is what we make it to be. Some people use it mainly to post pictures, other use it to follow their favorite brands, and others use as a tool for change, and probably each group thinks the other is doing it wrong.

    And although I came out here in defense of Huggies, in the end I'm glad this controversy started, and especially I'm glad it ended the way it did, because maybe companies will now be more careful when they think of using the dumb, egotistical dad stereotype (or any other stereotype).

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  15. Anonymous #1, #2, thank you for telling me how real men should act: surfing the web all day and leaving anonymous comments. On behalf of all men: well done.

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  16. Anonymous #3, you call yourself a man? Sears was having a tool sale? Real men don't buy anything on sale!!!

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  17. Jill, hey, at least you scared my hiccups away.

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  18. Kyle, thanks. I would have been quick on the attack if it were another company, but Huggies have a good track record, which gives them a few Get Out of Jail cards, in my opinion.

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