When companies market items made for children, they don’t typically target the father in the process. After all, they know that the mother is the one that will likely be making the purchase and they will have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to choosing what the children are going to use. That doesn’t mean, however, that fathers aren’t involved in the parenting process and now, Huggies has stepped up to the plate in a rather interesting way and it is making news.
For the first time ever in the history of Huggies, fathers are going to be featured on the boxes and bags of diapers. They have come to realize that parenting is more than being a mother, it is an effort that takes place between the mother and father. Gone are the days when the mother changed all of the diapers. In most families, it’s a chore that is shared.
“Our goal with the packaging and the campaign is to recognize the amazing job parents are doing and we’re proud that the boxes provided a way to feature the important role dads play in families,” Sarah Inbau, Huggies Brand Manager tells Scary Mommy. “And based on the response, we know it’s started a conversation, and even better, a celebration of dads.”
Seven different boxes are included, three of them that have men and babies and four that have women and babies. These pictures are found in the premium diaper line, Special Delivery. The look of the diaper box is also different in comparison with many of the soft colors that are used on other diaper brands and by Huggies in the past. People are praising the new choice.
“Huggies done went and put a black father on the package of their diapers,” writes Joe Flowers Jr. in his viral Facebook post. He notes that this is a “first in history” and is so impressed, he says he’s going to buy the box of diapers “for no reason whatsoever.”
Flowers told USA Today that it made him happy to see fathers represented this way. “I know we actually take care of our children just as much as the mom sometimes, so I was just proud to see a representation of that in the stores,” he says. “I would absolutely love for more fathers to be shown on products because we use them as well. I know for me it was a good feeling to see someone like me represented on a package.”
We often see gender stereotypes used in the marketing arena. It has become such a problem that even sexist stereotypes in advertising were banned in the UK. Those types of stereotypes are making a difference in the way that we see each other, so it’s good that people are standing up and taking notice.
“We are especially proud to have dads on Huggies packaging for the first time,” Inbau says.
Source: Scary Mommy