Has there been a thread about the Cow & Gate advert?

[MegBusset]

Here

Aren't they basically saying the health benefits of BF are all shite?

I also thought when I saw this advert that they're basically saying, even if your baby looks totally fine they need the cow and gate because actually they are not ok and have an upset tummy and a poor immune system etc etc and you have just not noticed this as mothers instict counts for nothing so you should get them on to the super cow and gate quick!
Load of rubbish IMO, what the hell does 'supports some of their defences' actually mean?!

I HATE that advert!

It's awful, i saw it last night.

It seems to say that when your baby hits 6 months they will need something "superior" to breast milk, and that all the benefits of breastfeeding have just been made up.

i don't like this advert, it suggests the formula is making them happy and their tummy happy, and like nothing else won't.

I agree, I think this advery is naughty. It's like saying Petite Filou is healthy grrrrrrr..

I guess we just have to hope that people are more savy.

That's funny, I read it as something slightly different. I saw it as a sneaky attack on some of the reasons that are regularly given in the breast vs bottle debate. For example, when it flashes on the screen "do I look my tummy is bothering me?" was designed to make mums think that formula maybe doesn't give babies digestion problems or "Do I look like I need extra vitamins" to put doubt in their minds that formula is inferior to breastmilk from a nutritional point of view.

So basically saying that in real term, your baby will be just as happy on formula as on breastmilk and that all the negative associations with formula have been exaggerated, A very sneaky advert in my opinion.

Maybe I read too much into it, but I work in the pharma industry and know how much companies like to put a positive spin on things.

Aggree with bouncing. A sneaky ad IMO.

Yeah, I thought it was odd too. In fact I assumed it was a breastmilk ANTI-formula ad at first.

It just doesn't really make any sense to me (rather than the other one where they showed Dads helping with the night feeds - I 'got' that one as a actual benefit of formula)

it's like 'see, formula never did these gorgeous giggling cute babies any harm.'

I never get worked up over formula advertising but I have to admit that they've been very sneaky with this one.

If you read a box of their follow on formula, it actually says that the milk should be given in a beaker.
But yet on their advert they use a bottle, which at first has some handles on but they amazingly disappear when the woman is feeding the milk to the baby.

omg is Petit Filou not healthy then?

[prays bethoo is joking]

Oh glad other people were cross about this ad. I've been pondering whether it's worth reporting it to the ASA. It did seem to me that they were saying 'you might hear that formula could give your baby an upset tummy and not have the same benefits for their immune system as BM - piffle! Look these babies have had it and they're laughing! So it's clearly fine!'
It's hard enough to get breastfeeding established sometimes without some big corporation giving misleading advertising out...

I thought it was illegal to advertise formula-why did I think that?

I thought the same as Bouncingblueberries.
What a rubbish, sneaky typical formula advert.
I dont have strong feelings about mums choosing how they feed but really it doesnt help to make an educated decision if that is the kind of crap they are going to peddle.
Some defences?? What about the ones not covered by the formula? Are they not deemed important by Cow & Gate.
Bugger now I am getting angry.

seriously not joking. i guess i have never looked at the ingredients but will when get home! i give it to little man as he is not a big milk drinker!

Its not illegal to advertise "folow-on" formula. I agree, it is a mis-;eading advert.

Okay, have complained - it takes about 3 mins - here just click on online complaints form if you feel as strongly as I did about it.

If they get a stack of complaints they're far more likely to act to ban the ad.

Want to complain - but I've only seen it on u-tube so not sure if I can??

bethoo they're not evil, but there's about two teaspoons of sugar in each pot.

oh. well cant be as bad as honey on toast surely?

Thanks thebecster. have just submitted my complaint.

that was what I meant - they're fine so long as you know what's in them.
It's the adverts that tout them as a healthy source of calcium and vits and don't mention the sugar, so we merrily spoon them in...

am going to complain too

was when DH came back from registering DD's birth and bundle of paperwork had a huge cow and gate advert in it (although DD does love looking at the A4 size picture of smiley baby) but GGGRRRRR so am complaining

It is the same as Bounty bags. Full of crap adverts for stuff that has no place near a new born infant!