Why I hate this Ad ....
January 12th, 2010 by Diane Sam
Check out the latest ad from the "Got Milk" Campaign: http://www.celebritybabyscoop.com/2010/01/12/rebecca-romijn-the-twins-got-milk
How cute, eh? Doesn't it look wholesome and healthy? Why would I hate this ad? Well... again, it's subtle, but these types of visuals can be powerful. Here's what I don't like: while the text says that she's the one drinking the milk, the visual message is how great it is for those little babies. Need I point out that BREASTMILK is the best thing for those babies, not cow's milk, the biological equivalent of walking out in the field and sucking on a cow's tit?
Seriously, milk is not a health panacea for either the moms or the babies. Ever heard of milk allergies and lactose intolerance? Did you know that up to 90% of Asians are lactose intolerant? You can get as much or more calcium from vegetables. Another sellout to the dairy industry.
Check out these great websites:
Interested in how a mother cow is treated? Read this: http://milkmyths.org.uk/intro.php
More milk myths exposed: http://www.epicureandigest.com/v2i1/page2.html
These types of ads are well thought out, well financed, and make a huge impact on people's perceptions of what's heatlhy for their families. She's a pretty young Hollywood mom with two gorgeous twins, and just looking at that picture makes me happy, it makes me want what she's got, it makes me think that if I had a little 1 yr old, I should go and buy more milk for him/her. The truth is those babies would be quite healthy with her breastmilk and a healthy diet of natural grains, fruits, vegetables, etc...
These ads are very subtle and influential. The "Got MIlk?" campaign has been a highly successful campaign for the dairy industry. It's time to see through these things, and stop letting our popular/celebrity crazed culture "mess with your swing".
What do you think? Any other ads out there that you think are subtley undermining breastfeeding?
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