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August 25, 2009

A Parent is Born Pushes Pampers Brand Naming

Pampers is going online with its Web series named "A Parent is Born." Think 12 webisodes that follow the lives of two regular people (one a wannabe actress) through the last stages of a pregnancy. Pampers claims that the episodes only feature the brand name at the start of the show, the rest is pure documentary.

Okay, am I the only one who is thinking of the classic poster for A Star is Born? The one with with a shirtless Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson? Surely this name hearkens back to it? The existence of the series has caused some cynical yukking in the blogosphere about guys wearing kangaroo pouches in Walmart.

Anyone who has babies knows that diapers are a product that is virtually recession-proof. In fact, the Pampers brand, has actually seen a 1% increase in sales in the last quarter.

This initiative is part of P&G's $50 million push into so-called "measured media" and should get the Pampers brand name in front of people looking for information about pregnancy in an authentic manner by following a real-life couple. Parents, especially first time parents, are information hungry and splurge on the right diaper (an average of 5 cents extra over store brands) seems worth it to ensure Junior is comfortable.

Pampers diapers, so say the reports, are noticeably more comfortable and, importantly, leak proof, than the competitors. Pampers still are the number one brand worldwide but have traditionally lost ground to their arch rival Huggies in a competition some say is more bitter than the cola-wars.

I like the authenticity of the idea. When a baby is born, a parent is born, although really that time comes when a woman becomes pregnant, as the documentary points out. But this is a non-obtrusive way to leverage the internet to build brand loyalty before the ultimate consumer even has a social security number!

Technorati Tags: A Parent Is Born, Pampers, Huggies, Diapers

Posted by William Lozito at August 25, 2009 9:39 AM
Posted to Brand Naming | Branding | Company Naming | Household Goods | Marketing | Naming | Product Naming

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