Another Update on the Suave Commercial...
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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
I wrote last week about finally seeing the Suave commercial with the nursing mom.I'm still seeing comments pop up about people being mad that it says negative things about nursing. So...I went and watched it yet again.
Let me preface this part by saying that much of the criticism is that it's pregnancy and the progression of age that make your breasts flat, not nursing. So, guess what the commercial ACTUALLY says?
The exact line in the commercial is:
"62% of Moms say that having a baby has left their hair and their breasts flat."
Followed by...
"New Suave Volumizing for up to 170% more fullness."
Hmm...see that? Not that breastfeeding makes them flat or nursing makes them flat...having a baby makes them flat.
Can't argue with that.
ETA: My mom just instant messaged me after reading this post. She wants to know if Suave makes the hair or the breasts 170% fuller. She said if it's the breasts, she's buying stock in the company. ;)
So now we're left with the fact that YAY, a commercial has a breastfeeding mom.
I think I shall write a letter to Suave on this one to say thank you. I'd encourage you to do the same.
Labels: Lactivism
I also saw the commercial during my soaps. I usually fast-forward through them with my tivo, but I went back and watched.
The first thing I noticed is that nursing isn't blamed or even mentioned, just as you point out.
I thought it was great to FINALLY see breastfeeding on TV -- and in a commercial where they are trying to SELL you something. I see this as progress, really. Especially since soaps are laden with formula ads.
QUESTION..Will my boobs become fuller using Suave...lol. I actually haven't seen the commercial yet but I give Suave kudos for whether knowingly or unknowingly supporting breastfeeding.
I guess Ima gonna have to start watch soaps to see this one. lol Funny how people get all up in arms about stuff before they even sit down and examine the evidence in front of them.
Pfft, if I could only blame my saggy boobs on my kids then I'd feel a bit better. Sadly, my boobs have ALWAYS been saggy.
Naki: lemme know how that works out for you. I'd switch if it made your boobs fuller. Lol
Just wanted to point out that Suave changed the commercial AFTER all the hubbub started. It originally did say "nursing", but was changed to "having a baby".
Can you confirm that? The fact that they changed the commercial?
Because I can't find anything that says as much, and I've looked.
In fact, the first posts that I saw about this commercial back when it first began airing were about how great it was that there was a nursing mother in a commercial.
Then there was all the hubub when that group put out the press release complaining and suddenly people were saying that it said something that it didn't.
Then it got positive blog comments again when people found the video on the web site and watched to see what it really said.
Would love some clarification if you can point to a news story or press release that shows that it was changed.
The problem for me is that things that are good for the baby might be sacrificed for the sake of the mom's appearance. Obviously, from this commercial's point of view, flat boobs are unacceptable. To avoid them, well, stop having babies or nursing, it seems to say (whether or not the words are 'nursing' or 'having babies.') Can we ever be accepted flat hair, flat boobs, whatever? I'd have loved to have avoided the dark circles under my eyes I got when feeding my jaundiced, dehydrated infant every hour throughout the night...my losing the dark circles was not in his best interest. Now that he's 16, I celebrate the appearance sacrifices I made for a healthy son...and certainly wouldn't trade him (well some days!) for better looks for myself. Call me crazy, but I'm writing Suave to tell them I don't approve of this ad.
I do not think that this is an appropriate commerical. I find this commerical offending.
Judy Gorman, Florida
Sorry, I'm 48, have been pregnant and nursed and my breasts are NOT flat, thank you very much.
Genetics, skin tone, weight gain and loss (sometimes associated with pregnancy) are all factors on how your breasts look as you age. Look at your mother's breasts and you will probably be looking at your future breasts.
My breasts certainly are not where they were when I was 16, but as a lactation educator, my breasts look a lot better than a lot of 16 year-olds breasts.
Suave is dead wrong in airing commercials that undermine pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women are impressionable and they are playing on a concern that many pregnant women deal with.
Unilever, Inc. (the company that owns Suave) is irresponsible in that some women may deny their infants the perfect milk for their babies for the sake of vanity.
I will be sending a letter of complaint to Unilever, Inc.
I just caught part of the commercial and did not have time to read the line closely enough. I thought it said "62% of breastfeeding moms have hair on their breasts." I was totally grossed out and had to go to the internet to double check what I thought I had read.
I don't see that it was a negative commercial at all. It's just life and that's what happens to us. Why not accept it?
I support nursing, though I myself could not bf. I do however strongly dislike those people who feel like they have to look for miniscule reasons to complain about a simple advertisement. Many things can be taken many ways, and for you to actually take the time to write a letter of complaint to Unilever, you should really find better things to be an activist about.. because if you feel nursing is right and you feel you have done right by your children (regardless of vanity even), then in the end what does it really matter to you those advertisements or peoples harsh words or funny looks or stares? stand up for what you believe in without being so quick to judge everyone else...
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