By nickjohnson - July 24th, 2013
Apparently, the Duchess of Cambridge had a baby this week.
Many brands have taken advantage, by attempting to link their products to the enormous interest in the birth. Considering the rather extensive trailing of this particular child’s entrance into the world, one can’t give much credit for a ‘quick response’ (as with Oreos and the Superbowl blackout), but certain campaigns still deserve praise:
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Mamas and Papas, the mother and baby brand, who threw a party in Westfield shopping centre in London and offered a 20% sale
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UK retailer the Co-Op has run a series of radio and press ads, along with other brands like Coca Cola, Warburtons and Ryanair
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Somewhat more irreverently, the beer brand Carling ran a TV ad in the UK featuring a mistaken decorating job
Over at Campaign Magazine, David Howard highlights a potential pitfall with aligning one’s brand too closely with the family unit now epitomised by Wills, Kate and the new prince. He says the buzz around the new arrival should not “blind marketers to the reality of modern families” - pointing out that 85% of parents now believe that advertising is “biased towards mothers and upholds an outmoded idea of family”.