If the #motrinmoms were offended and felt passionate enough to mention it does that really make it stupid. Like you, I can't find it offensive but to others it was a point worth discussing. - Pete Barry

I think you (and Motrin) fail to consider how touchy a subject this sort of thing is. Moms have to constantly justify how they decide to raise their kids -- to their own mothers, mothers-in-law, sisters, neighbors, teachers, etc. For a company to butt its nose into such a personal decision -- and at the same time ask moms to trust that company to administer their drug to their children (I know, Motrin Infant/Kids are different products, but I don't think that distinction is going to be respected) -- mistake - Dan MacTough

Dan, thanks for explaining. That's the most coherent explanation I've heard so far. - Dave Winer

OTOH, no one gets to control what other people say about them, and I gotta tell you there's a lot of second guessing going on in the world, and a lot of revisionism, and people grabbing shit that doesn't belong to them. It may be the universal experience, the one thing we all share. And it sucks! - Dave Winer

No argument. But, that doesn't mean moms can't be offended. I mean, if I were selling Alzheimer's medicine, I wouldn't joke about my potential customers' memory problems. It's about knowing your audience, and I think the ad agency thought they could play it cute with this subject without knowing that their audience probably would find it a joking matter. - Dan MacTough

I'm totally going to get in trouble here - but I think everyone is missing an element. Was I offended by the Motrin ad? Yes. Did I initially say so? Yes. Do I think the clamour has gotten out of hand? Absolutely. Why? Because there are a few folks who are feeling empowered by the mob... they are getting acclaim for 'getting heard' and pushing the mob on because that feels good. Motrin pulled the ad. Motrin has sent out apology letters. Time to get over it and move on. That's my 2 cents. - Lucretia Pruitt

Point well made, Dan, but adverts patronise me a thousand times a day. The only difference this time is that somebody has decided to take offence and create a twitterstorm. - Chris Nixon

I'm with you, Lucretia. I think we're discussing it now in more of a post-mortem, meta context. That's my intent, at least. - Dan MacTough

Most balanced Motrin thread by far. Thanks for this. ++Lucretia. - Mona Nomura

Two things strike me about the ad. First, the narrator comes off to me as a "Hip Mom", while most of the baby-wearers I know are better described as "Crunchy Moms." It's like Paris Hilton advertising veggie burgers as a hangover cure. ;-) I suspect that's where a lot of the heat is coming from... an audience that feels Motrin has put up its opposite as a representative. - Joe Murphy

Thing 2: What bugged me personally is, in my one baby worth of experience, if your baby carrier hurts, _you're wearing it wrong_. Don't take a pill, learn to use your tool right. Wait... you mean Motrin's goal isn't to make me act with maximum mechanical efficiency? I thought all advertisers had my best interest at heart... - Joe Murphy

Relative advertising based on old model demographics and predictive measurement as a best practice is arrogant, presumptive, and alienating at best. One size fits all marketing is dead. The real problem is the collateral damage created by marketers who cast large nets without regard. There's nothing inherently wrong with the Motrin or Cheerios ads provided that their targets are being reached. I'm sure a certain type of woman can relate to those ads. Those who don't relate are caught in the crossfire. Television, in it's present form, has never and will never be a vehicle for reaching a common market denominator. However, until Dave's assertion of advertising as information is fully realized, we are stuck with it, or not. - James Burgos

110% agreed. Of all the things to get upset about - Duncan Riley

(1) This ad appeared on THE WEB back in September. (It's now November.) I wonder what would have happened had it aired as a TV commercial on CNN during the electoral debates. (2) I wasn't personally offended, but someone offered me the koolaid and I drank some. My opinion was asked, so I gave it at the time. (3) People are passionate about things that matter to them and the community in which they feel supported. (4) When can we discuss copyright infringement now that it's on YouTube? - Melissa Davis

Yes, enough about this already! 1. Don't watch ads. 2. Use generics. Problems solved. - Tinfoil 2.0