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Infant feeding

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Original poster

Gow and Gate and Aptimil Advertising

39 replies

poppydog10 · 19/09/2010 21:58

On Facebook today, I noticed that the adverts down the side were for Gow and Gate and Aptimil. They were both encouraging pregnant women to join their baby clubs by giving away a free toy cow (Cow and Gate) or polar bear (Aptimil).

It is obviously targeted advertising - I'm not currently pregnant, but do have a dd who is 5 months.

I was wondering whether this kind of promotional advertising violated the Breastmilk Subsitute Marketing Code (not sure if that's what it's actually called by you know what I mean).

OP posts:
FunnysInTheGarden · 19/09/2010 22:29

who gives a shit if it does? Am totally fed up with this witch hunt against FF brands. Mebeez you want to join Tabouleh's thread instead?

HumphreyCobbler · 19/09/2010 22:32

witch hunt??

what do you mean?

Panzee · 19/09/2010 22:33

I joined all the formula clubs in the hope of getting free stuff, but I didn't get any. Ah well.

Original poster
poppydog10 · 19/09/2010 22:35

funnys -

This was a genuine question. Not intended to launch into ff/bf debate. The code is there for a reason.

OP posts:
FunnysInTheGarden · 19/09/2010 22:36

There is this big thing recently that anything any FF brands do is the devils work. You may or may not wish to look at Baby Milk Action's website which seems to be some freakish kind of anti FF website dressed up as 'concern' for the feeing of babies in general

theboobmeister · 19/09/2010 22:39

It's definitely outlawed under the International Code - that states that formula companies and the like shouldn't seek contact with mothers or mothers-to-be.

Unfortunately the UK law is far weaker than the Code and full of loopholes - not least the notorious invention of follow-on milks which share the same brand names and packaging as formula, but to which advertising restrictions don't apply. And what we have isn't even enforced properly.

Some interesting stuff about Cow & Gate marketing strategies here, if you're interested

theboobmeister · 19/09/2010 22:43

Classic - I took so long to post that I didn't notice we weren't talking about international regulation any more.

But who cares? Fight! Fight! Fight! Wink

Original poster
poppydog10 · 19/09/2010 22:43

Thanks theboobmeister

OP posts:
MoonFaceMama · 19/09/2010 22:53

sorry that your thread got hijacked poppydog. Issues. I'm trying not to find it funny but can't quite manage it. Grin

organiccarrotcake · 19/09/2010 22:57

So does anyone know if it counters UK law? May be worth emailing the asa to get them to check it out. They have a quick form by memory on their website for just that.

Original poster
poppydog10 · 19/09/2010 23:00

Grin moonfacemama

OP posts:
foxytocin · 19/09/2010 23:13

Don't take it so personally Funny. This isn't about you or any other mother who has used formula. It is a company which knows that it is breaking the Code but couldn't, to quote you, give a shit.

organiccarrotcake · 19/09/2010 23:29

Hmm sorry to burst your bubble, funny but Baby Milk Action works to stop formula companies doing marketing which has killed hundreds of thousands of babies. I'm not talking about Western babies, but those in Africa, for instance. As a frequent visitor to the continent and supporter of several community development projects there, plus having extensive family who are African and run development projects in rural Somalia, Kenya and Mozambique, I can tell you first hand that I have seen that the marketing of baby milks, which BMA fights against, has caused the suffering and death of too many people. I've seen the marketing and I've seen the babies. Not something that anyone would wish to see. :(

Original poster
poppydog10 · 19/09/2010 23:35

Funnys- if baby milk action isn't concerned for babies, what is their agenda? What do they have to gain by being anti- formula?

OP posts:
PartialToACupOfMilo · 19/09/2010 23:55

I ebf dd to 6 months. Now she has formula during the day when I'm at to work, 5 days a week during term time, and I BF her morning and before bed. At weekends and in school holidays she has just BF (alongside solids obviously). Anyway, I think of myself as a commited BFer and still I signed up to both of these companies and was sent a cow and a polar bear stuffed toys. Actually I joined the C&G one twice so have 2 cows. They're just stuffed toys and have nothing to do with my decisions to BF or later to give formula when expressing didn't really work out for me.

What I did notice, with the Aptamil club anyway - not sure whether C&G ever actually contacted me after sending the cow out - was that they never suggested that formula was superior to BF and they even advise mothers to BF for the first six months. I think most people join for the free gift and that it has little if any influence over the way in which they choose to feed their baby.

organiccarrotcake · 20/09/2010 00:22

partial I did a similar thing with DS1.

My experience with these advertising things is wording like this, "At six months your baby will be starting to need to start using a sippy cup instead of a bottle".

It's wording like this which normalises FF.

Clearly that sentence isn't going to make anyone suddenly FF but it's a drip-drip effect of normalising FF which does create a culture of FF. Does that make sense?

One cow on its own is nothing, but it's a cumulative effect.

MoonFaceMama · 20/09/2010 00:52

Confused has the other thread been pulled? Or did we run out of buns?

virgo1979 · 20/09/2010 09:07

My DS is 3 months old, my first DC. When pregnant, i was so excited i joined every club going, and if i got a freebie then great. I received the cow and the polar bear,2 year old nieces came over to play, gave them the stuffed toys, never saw them again. DS has been EBF, with a 5ml feed of Aptamil in hospital when both were exhausted, at midwive advice which i agreed to as REALLY needed the sleep. Hasnt affected BF - have just expressed 8 fl oz to stick in freezer. what i am saying is its your attitude to marketing and your mindset, having that cow and gate 5 inch stuffed cow in my house didnt brainwash me into thinking that formula is best and that i must use cow and gate. i also (dont yell at me) have a few cartons of ready made aptamil in the house, which we bought when ds was born, JUST IN CASE. we never used them as i was so stubborn, but knowing that they were they made me feel more comfortable if it did go terribly wrong, or as i say to DH - if i get run over, at least DS will be fed for a day or too.....anyway i will probably give the cartons away as BF for me is established, have a good supply in the freezer, BUT this was my first experience so i didnt know it would turn out....everyone is different..... you need to use a bit of intelligence and you also learn for next time....

and breathe. dont normally get involved in these 'debates' but think OP is a little upset over nothing.... and starting threads like that makes pregant MN lurkers (as i was) feel bad before we have even had our DC. Luckily i am a confident person and didnt feel bad for having a stuffed cow in the house or a couple of cartons of aptamil in the early days in the cupboard, JUST IN CASE....

virgo1979 · 20/09/2010 09:08

just realised that last post made absolutely no sense whatsoever..... sorry!

curlywurlycremeegg · 20/09/2010 09:17

FFS, MN is getting bloody ridiculous, posters can't post on serious/interesting topics without beeing jumped on and if you dare question information given re breastfeeding/formula companies you risk personal attack. Shall MN just become a fluffy, avatar, bling signature site that doesn't face up to some of the real issues that multinational corparations are cuasing so as not to upset anyone? Note to self: only ever post about puppies and kittens in future.

OP you have every right to question the ethics of such advertising, I wish more people took it as seriously.

Original poster
poppydog10 · 20/09/2010 09:23

Virgo,
I absolutely agree with you.

My dd is also breastfed, but she has had the very occasional bottle of formula for example when I was away at a wedding, when she'd run out of expressed milk, and I have also tried giving her formula at night to see if she would sleep for longer and to try and make her less dependent on the breast to fall asleep. I am not anti-formula. That's my disclaimer.

I agree that it's your mindset. Some people are more impressional than others. It's not simply about having a stuffed toy in the house, it's an incentive to encourage pregnant woment to join their baby clubs. Which amongst other things offers nutrition advice and money off vouchers.

When I was pregnant, and while dd was very young, I had no stong views about bf/ff, so to some extent I was impressional. I thought that formula was on a par with breastmilk. Others may feel the same. So if they are targetted by formula companies, at this stage, they may not even consider breastfeeding, possibly to their and their baby's detriment. Of course, if they want to breastfeed and can't, then it is an entirely different story.

Anyway, back to the original post. I was merely asking for people that have knowledge of the area, whether this type of advertising was against legistation. Which Theboomeister kindly answered for me. I had no intention of starting a debate. But it seems I have...

OP posts:
MoonFaceMama · 20/09/2010 10:08

Virgo there is a very interesting book called the politics of breastfeeding by gabriel palmer that you might find interesting if you want to find out why people are suspicious of formula companies (which is not the same as being suspicious of formula iykwim). Bf rates are affected by formula advertising. We have a culture that makes ff the norm and for some people this norm is hard to go against. You are lucky to have been determined. Smile

Carikube · 20/09/2010 11:00

Their advertising didn't work on me - I got the cow and the polar bear and then gave DD1 SMA Grin. BF is actually working out this time with DD2 so still haven't bought any C&G or Aptamil....

Original poster
poppydog10 · 20/09/2010 11:02

I agree with Moonfacemama. The Politics of Breastfeeding is a very interesting book.

OP posts:
Bubbles1066 · 20/09/2010 11:37

Ah, I joined both clubs and got the Polar Bear and not the cow... I am now boycotting all Cow and gate products until they send me a cow.