Wrt reasons to breastfeed, there are benefits for the mother and baby, as already discussed. It also helps mum lose the baby weight by burning calories and reduces likelihood of childhood leukemia. For more on the benefits, I've given a link below.
www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/breastfeeding/
@cocolola23
The issue we have is that years ago, formula companies were allowed into maternity wards to give new mums free formula. Women were fed lies, told that a breastfed baby should only need feeding at often as a FF one, that if the baby needed breastmilk more often than that mum clearly wasn't producing enough, or they had a 'hungry baby' that needed formula. They were warned that if they gave breastmilk they wouldn't be able to tell that baby had had enough and were risking under-feeding. They were told that formula was just as good because the companies that sell it wanted the profit. Basically, they were taught not to trust their own bodies, that the men in white coats knew what was best for the babies. And as a result the vast majority of women formula fed. And the art of breastfeeding was forgotten. When the later generations discovered that actually, breastfeeding is best for mums and babies, no one remembered how to do it any more. Mums could no longer ask their own mothers, siblings, aunts and friends for help. And of course, any suggestion after the fact that maybe formula isn't quite as good was met with a raft of mum guilt from the previous generations, who then ignored this upsetting information and continued to encourage new mums to FF.
The problem with the nhs campaign is that it makes mums want to BF but doesn't give them the support and tools to do so. The support offered varies dramatically by area. I was admitted back on to the maternity ward when I struggled to breastfeed at home and didn't leave again until I was confident with it, but lots of mums don't get that level of support and give up because they want their baby fed and happy but can't do that breastfeeding because they need the help and can't access it. So you get all of the mum guilt with none of the breastfeeding benefits.
However, I believe the tide is turning. In my area at least, the baby groups are full of breastfeeding mums. At a recent baby massage group I attended, everyone fed their babies at the end and only one mum out of the ten that were there used a bottle to do so. I think breastfeeding is becoming more popular. And as people get used to seeing it and start to develop a group of friends and family members who have done it themselves and can offer advice and help, it will be that much easier for new mums who want to breastfeed to be able do so.