How a Diaper Company went from Cute to Creepy Overnight

Goodnites is a company that makes diapers for babies. The company has been around for decades. You either wore Goodnites as a kid or knew a kid who was wearing them long after they should of been in undies.

Recently, Goodnites and Diamond Ogilvy revealed the Advertisement below, to promote the diapers we all have some type of connection with. When we think of diaper advertising, we think of happy babies playing in a play pen. An ad that focuses on a baby being happy is one that targets any parent looking to keep that little bundle of joy quiet. We don’t really think of a baby straddling a thick rope with oil dripping down its chest. You heard me right – Take a look,

Goodnites - Beckham and Baby

The result of this campaign left many wondering if they were wrong just to be looking. Its clearly meant to imitate the Armani Ad on the right featuring David Beckham. The Ad is hoping to tap into the trend that we are all becoming more fashion conscience. Throughout the recession while many stores suffered a significant drop in sales, High-Fashion stores still stood their ground bringing in consistent sales.

As a diaper company, Goodnites has built a brand that many parents accept and fully embrace. The idea that their kids would be happy when wearing these diapers was something parents could live with. If you want to change the story or message there needs to be a reason. This Advertisement fails because they are changing that story to something completely different without just-cause.

Somewhere along the line Ogilvy was able to convince Goodnites that the story that they’ve been telling consumers for years is no longer working. They were able to convince Goodnites that parents actually value their babies fashion sense in a diaper over the idea of a happy baby. Now maybe Ogilvy was onto something when they made the pitch. Maybe parents are looking to have their fashion needs fulfilled when it comes to diapers. If that’s the case then the execution is where we have the problem.

When it comes to Babies Sex Doesn’t Sell

There are 400,000 registered sex offenders in the United States. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 of them are untrackable. In an age where parents fear for their childrens safety on a daily basis an Ad promoting a sexy baby cannot work. Had this Ad been less serious and more humorous, we would find ourselves in a much better situation. However, seeing that they took this oiled up baby and told it to seduce the camera. They missed the opportunity completely.

Sure its becoming viral – But its not becoming viral in a way that will be good for the Goodnites brand. This Ad may get people talking and ignite some interesting conversations. However, the conversations will more than likely be about protests or petitions. And if a PR rep tries to tell you that all press is good press, they lied. Just ask Tiger.

So, Everyone has an opinion! I’d love to hear what you think of the Ad. Do you think it was executed well?