This morning, I logged into my Twitter account, only to be bombarded with tweets about a Motrin ad. I was really confused, so I started reading the links and following the trail.

Apparently, the makers of Motrin posted an ad, it’s currently on the front page of the site, talking about how babywearing is in fashion, right now, even though it’s a pain in the back. The text of the ad reads as follows.

Wearing your baby seems to be in fashion.

I mean in theory it’s a great idea.

…

And who knows what else they’ve come up with. Wear your baby on your side, your front, go hands free.

Supposedly, it’s a real bonding experience.

They say that babies carried close to the bod tend to cry less than others.

But what about me? Do moms that wear their babies cry more than those who don’t?

I sure do!

These things put a ton of strain on your back, your neck, your shoulders. Did I mention your back?!

I mean, I’ll put up with the pain because it’s a good kind of pain; it’s for my kid.

Plus, it totally makes me look like an official mom.

And so if I look tired and crazy, people will understand why.

This angered many moms, and they started tweeting about it. There are rebuttal videos being posted on YouTube, and over a dozen blog posts, both from parenting websites and marketing blogs.

It’s also the number one search term on Twitter, overtaking SNL and Obama.

The thing that has many people confused is that the makers of Motrin haven’t really responded. They were unaware there was a controversy even occurring, and didn’t really have anything to add to it. They were looking into it.

The lesson to be learned from this is that major brands and corporations should monitor social networks and places like Twitter and Flickr to avoid this sort of thing happening in the future. This Motrin controversy is going to be remembered, and if social media has anything to say about it, it’ll never happen again.

Article Tags: #motrinmoms | baby wearing | Brand Extension | controversy | digital age | Motrin | pain | social media | Twitter

Filed under: Brand Extension, Digital Marketing, Digital Media, Technology, Twitter, Viral, advertising, social media