May 31, 2010

According to Marketers My Kid is Full of Chic

Has parenting jumped the shark? Or maybe it’s just those people hawking things to parents who seem to have gone a step too far. Two products have hit the stores recently that both have a 'What were they thinking' vibe to them. The first is diaper jeans and the second is chocolate-flavoured toddler formula.

The diapers aren’t actually denim, they just have a denim-like pattern on them, complete with studded pockets. Because you know all-white bottoms are soo last season. The hilarious thing about the denim diapers is not the way they look (which is not so bad) but the way Huggies has chosen to market them.

The Press Release reads: (and see the cheeky commercial after the jump).

Huggies is reinventing the RUNWAY by bringing FASHION to babies’ bottoms with the launch of the new Jeans Diaper. Jeans have always been a Mommy must-have, but now it’s time for little ones to steal the STYLE. With Huggies Jeans diaper, little ones everywhere will have a FUN and fashionable way to express themselves and their own personal style. Huggies helps your baby stay TRENDY (and dry) with the new Huggies Jeans Diaper!

It’s true as my little one is running down the hall with a diaper full of crap, I always think: this kid is destined for the runway! Just like me struggling in my skinny jeans, my baby should be up-to-the-minute in her denim diapers.

"Jeans have always been a Mommy fashion must-have, but now it's time for their little ones to steal the style," said Stuart Schneider, senior brand director of Huggies, in an press release. I have read the press release over a few times, and I am still stumped if the company is choosing to be a tongue-in-cheek or are seriously going after some mysterious fashionista mommy.

I just wonder if they have a low-waist style and a higher one for those with a little muffin top to cover up?

On a more serious note, the chocolate-covered formula is aimed not at fashionistas but at scared parents. According to the manufacturers, Mead-Johnson, the formula is meant as a supplement for picky toddlers as they wean off formula or breast milk to milk. It is essentially fortified milk with sugar in it. Marion Nestle, famed nutritionist who has become the conscience for the food-savvy set, wrote a post with her concerns of such a product addicting children to sugar and taking the place of real food. I can definitely see how some well-meaning parents might fall into the trap of buying this product out of fear. Its too bad that the manufacturers have identified this particular insecurity of parents and have chosen to fill the gap with chocolate. As Nestle says: “Next: let’s genetically modify moms to produce chocolate breast milk.”