Moms tell Motrin to buzz off, company apologizes

November 17, 4:50 PMParenting ExaminerTerreece Clarke

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Motrin issues swift apology for angering moms.

Twitter and the blogsphere was mobilized this weekend against corporate wrong doing to great affect. The news went viral and before long, bloggers and Tweeters had combined in one voice uplifted in a rage against "the man." 

So what got the forces organized? What brought a huge company to it's knees within hours? Mommy-bloggers. The Motrin people thought this ad:

Wearing your baby seems to be in fashion. I mean, in theory it’s a great idea. There’s the front baby carrier, sling, schwing, wrap, pouch. 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 body 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.

would be appealing to mothers. Apparently, quite a few mothers didn't like the practice of baby-wearing to be deemed a fashion trend nor did they appreciate it being a "supposed" bonding experience. Lastly, calling a mother crazy for doing so seemed to grate on quite a few nerves as well.

Since the ill-fated add was discovered moms across the net have blogged and tweeted their severe displeasure and while they say all press is good press, Motrin apparently didn't think so and, according to Lisa Belkin over at New York Times' Motherlode blog, Motrin quickly issued an apology and pulled the ad from the web. Unfortunately, they couldn't pull the print version that have already hit the stands so they should expect a steady influx of unhappy mamas.

I am a babywearer and it actually not only calmed my babies, it helped me with the all important Kangaroo Care my second child needed because she was having trouble with breastfeeding. While I wasn't particularly offended by being called crazy or that maybe I was hitching on the celebrity bandwagon, I did have to crack a smile at the quick and fierce reaction from the moms out there.

The lesson in this - beyond Motrin needing to hire some experts in social media to handle their campaigns - is the awesome power of the internet and it's ability to pull together people for a common purpose. President-elect Obama used this great effect.

Think of what more will be accomplished if those who share a common interest continue to combine forces across wireless signals. A great lesson parents can teach their kids is how to organize their online community for great causes - empower your kids to initiate change!

Poor Motrin - never mess with moms!