Digital Blogger

Dan Leahul

The self-professed "Motrin Moms", a small group of incensed Twitter users who barked and yelped loud enough to quell an entire Johnson & Johnson Motrin television and print campaign, must be a little unsettling for marketers.

The campaign, which has been around for a couple of months - without incident - was cast into the limelight after it caught the attention of a few influential Twitter users over the weekend, who amassed an unprecedented backlash, the kind only a scorned mother could dish.

Watch the (presumably) offending ad here, on AdAge and try to figure out what set them off. Not being a mother, I truly don't see the transgression; in fact I think the ad looks pretty sharp.

A quick news roundup shows moms are fuming because the ad suggests wearing babies in a sling is a fashion statement, I think. Whatever, they carried us around for at least nine months; they have a right to be pissed about these things.

I can accept this. But what followed is rather unacceptable, and a little unsettling.

This is the second time we've mentioned the influence of these mom bloggers here on the Digital Blogger, but it's apparent from the tone of the first entry that I was a little sceptical.

Well, consider me converted.

AdAge points the finger at two mom-bloggers who likely brought the whole Motrin campaign to its knees: Jessica Gottlieb, who writes for Silicon Valley Moms (and who admits blame), and Katja Presnal, owner of a kid-garb store, and have more than 5,000 Twitter followers between the two of them.

Presnal was responsible for the nine minute YouTube video calling for a Motrin boycott.

The two of them manage to rally their Twitter troops, here are a few of the offended excerpts, as reported by AP:

"Picking on new mothers is vile, it's as vulnerable as we will ever be and they should know better."

"I can't even count the ways I am offended right now. Taken aback! This is a serious screw up for such a major company."

"Wow Motrin, you REALLY messed up with that ad. No more Motrin for my family. MobileMommy."

"I credit a large portion of my children's happiness to baby wearing. thecouponcoup."

"NO to Motrin. Generic ibuprofen works for me! And wearing my son never gave me back pain. cutiebootycakes."

I doubt marketers ever thought they would have to atone to someone who traverses across social networking sites with a "cutiebootycakes" nametag, but in the end, Motrin conceded to the vocal minority.

On the Motrin website, VP of marketing for McNeil Consumer Healthcare, owner of the Motrin brand said: "With regard to the recent Motrin advertisement, we have heard you."

"We are parents ourselves and we take feedback from moms very seriously."

And like that the ad was snuffed.

Without wanting to spark a Brand Republic revolt, it has to be said that the Motrin Mom's took things too far. I can't say the ad wasn't offensive because I am not a mom, but I showed my mom and she confirmed that it was indeed, not offensive. But that doesn't matter.

What matters is that social networking has proven its influence from a marketing standpoint, in true form, and advertisers should, nay - must - take heed. The moms have spoken.