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Vicious, sneaky, sinister advertising  

post #1 of 43
2/3/08 at 9:28pm
Thread Starter 
I know we talk about this a fair amount here, but I had to share my experience today.

I went to Walgreens. I bought some deoderant and a package of Soothies - you know, the nifty gel things to put on sore boobs. I'm due with #2 soon and I remember how great they were the first time around.

So I got a checkout coupon. Yay. What's my checkout coupon?

Quote:
BREASTFEEDING OR
FORMULA?
MANY WOMEN DO BOTH.
Get a free sample of Enfamil Lipil
plus a helpful booklet with tips on feeding baby <blah blah blah>.
What's next?
Quote:
SAVE $5.00
on any size powder
ENFAMIL LIPIL INFANT FORMULA
And the last bit:

Quote:
ENFAMIL LIPIL
IMPROVES EYE
DEVELOPMENT
The only brand shown in published independent
clinical studies to improve eye development
It just made me sick. A woman with sore boobs buys a pack of Soothies and gets a coupon for formula that (a) makes it sound like everyone uses formula; and (b) makes it sound like formula is superior (it improves eye development!).

Ugh Ugh Ugh. Please come spit on Enfamil (and Walgreens?) with me.
post #2 of 43
2/3/08 at 10:00pm
Wow. I would have to write the manager a letter for that one.
post #3 of 43
2/3/08 at 10:09pm
:::

post #4 of 43
2/3/08 at 10:14pm
Disgusting
post #5 of 43
2/3/08 at 10:25pm
Oh man, that is bad! Really really rotten, even for a formula company.
post #6 of 43
2/4/08 at 1:24am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MommytoTwo View Post
Wow. I would have to write the manager a letter for that one.
Maybe I should . . . but do they even have any control over what comes out of the checkout coupon thing? I feel like the people I need to be yelling at are the advertising people who come up with this stuff, or the execs who approve it.
post #7 of 43
2/4/08 at 1:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Romana9+2 View Post
Maybe I should . . . but do they even have any control over what comes out of the checkout coupon thing? I feel like the people I need to be yelling at are the advertising people who come up with this stuff, or the execs who approve it.
That's some nasty advertising. I would complain to the coorporate office of the pharmacy.
post #8 of 43
2/4/08 at 1:56am
Kind of off topic, but related. Just today I was grocery shopping at Rosaurs and bought some Rainbow Light Prenatal Vitamins from the health food section. With my receipt I got a coupon for Enfamil formula and one for diaper wipes. I laughed and gave them back the to clerk, "I won't be needing these!"
post #9 of 43
2/4/08 at 6:04am
Oh, if you need soothies you must really have sore nipples and breasts. Breastfeeding is hard. Especially at night when you have had little sleep. Plus, you have an older child too. Wouldn't a can of formula be nice to have on hand when those breasts are sore? Or you are tired? Or you want to spend some time with your older child? Plus, its a great way for others to bond with the baby. I would have held on to those coupons, just in case.















Please note that the above cr@p was a sarcastic snub to the formula companies and this mama in NO WAY believes any of it. Ok- maybe the part about breastfeeding being hard- but worth it!!!
post #10 of 43
2/4/08 at 8:22am
I got the same coupon from Walgreens when I bought a box of nursing pads. Grrrrr!
post #11 of 43
2/4/08 at 10:44am
Very sick and sad.
post #12 of 43
2/4/08 at 10:53am
ALL formula marketing makes me sick.....

....however I remember reading that buying ANYTHING baby related triggers those coupons. In other words, those formula garbage coupons didn't print because you were buying breastfeeding items, they would have printed if you bought baby wipes or a sippy or a bib or anything really.

Still really pathetic though.
post #13 of 43
2/4/08 at 10:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mom2snugbugs View Post
Oh, if you need soothies you must really have sore nipples and breasts. Breastfeeding is hard. Especially at night when you have had little sleep. Plus, you have an older child too. Wouldn't a can of formula be nice to have on hand when those breasts are sore? Or you are tired? Or you want to spend some time with your older child? Plus, its a great way for others to bond with the baby. I would have held on to those coupons, just in case.
Yep, see, that's just it. Just exactly what really bothers me about the coupon. Here you have a woman who is having pain but trying to breastfeed (I won't say that's unusual; I sure had blistered nipples and pain and my dd had a great latch and did everything "right" on her end - breastfeeding just is not the easiest thing ever!), and you take this vulnerable, probably sleep-deprived woman and remind her that lots of women use formula and breastfeed, and make her start thinking about how it might be so much easier to just use a bottle of formula once a day or something . . . and then she gets the guilt bit about improving eye development, and thinks, "Well, this must be good for my baby" and before you know it she's exclusively formula feeding because her supply has dropped and her baby is no longer happy at the breast or has nipple confusion or whatever.

It is just SO WRONG to me in SO MANY WAYS. You buy a breastfeeding-only product - particularly one you would buy when you're having some difficulty - and you get checkout coupon sabotage. Just really angers me.

Knew I could vent here.
post #14 of 43
2/4/08 at 11:36am
As a PP pointed out, however, coupons for diaper wipes, dipes, and other baby related items can be spit out on the coupon feed as well. It's not just formula.
post #15 of 43
2/4/08 at 12:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PatienceAndLove View Post
As a PP pointed out, however, coupons for diaper wipes, dipes, and other baby related items can be spit out on the coupon feed as well. It's not just formula.
But the formula ones are specifically designed to sabotage a breastfeeding relationship. And are against the WHO code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes. And, IMO, are as the OP said "vicious, sneaky, sinister advertising."
post #16 of 43
2/4/08 at 12:41pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by PatienceAndLove View Post
As a PP pointed out, however, coupons for diaper wipes, dipes, and other baby related items can be spit out on the coupon feed as well. It's not just formula.
Difference:

I purchased a BREASTFEEDING-ONLY item, and specifically one used when a mother is having pain or discomfort breastfeeding. The coupon I received was for free formula, a discount on formula, and encouraged me specifically to formula feed in addition to breastfeeding.

If I had purchased a bag of diapers, I would not have come and complained about getting a formula coupon. Annoying? Maybe. But there's nothing particularly sinister about a checkout coupon for formula when I'm buying diapers or other generic baby stuff.

The latter is tailored to my buying preferences as evidenced by my purchase (Diapers are for babies. Formula is for babies. Maybe consumer uses and will buy formula.). The former is (in my opinion) a sinister ad preying on my evident vulnerabilities, not actually something in any way in accordance with or evidenced as a buying preference by my purchase (Soothies are for sore breasts. Consumer must be having pain while breastfeeding. Maybe consumer will switch to/try formula if provided with coupon.).

Possibly the people who set up that coupon to come out with that purchase didn't even consider what they were doing. But whether they thought about it or not, advertising formula with that particular purchase is pretty diabolical IMO.
post #17 of 43
2/4/08 at 12:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PatioGardener View Post
But the formula ones are specifically designed to sabotage a breastfeeding relationship. And are against the WHO code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes. And, IMO, are as the OP said "vicious, sneaky, sinister advertising."

Kind of makes you want to print out the WHO code and carry it around for just such an ocassion!!
post #18 of 43
2/4/08 at 12:46pm
Thats just wrong, hit a woman with coupons when she is having bfing difficulty...
post #19 of 43
2/4/08 at 4:17pm
To me, that's not any different than when I get a douche coupon when I buy maxipads. It would be nice to get a coupon for maxipads when I am BUYING MAXIPADS, but that's not how the advertising works.
post #20 of 43
2/4/08 at 5:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by llamalluv View Post
To me, that's not any different than when I get a douche coupon when I buy maxipads. It would be nice to get a coupon for maxipads when I am BUYING MAXIPADS, but that's not how the advertising works.
Yes, but using douche and maxipads isn't nearly the same as BF and FF. Use of douche doesn't mean you'll never need a maxipad and use of a maxipad doesn't mean you'll never use douche. Granted, some BFing mamas need to supplement, but generally it's not necessary.
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