Many of us are familiar with the Gerber Baby brand, and of course who could forget that precious baby face logo. Every year the company holds a contest to select a new baby to be the face of the company.
Photo courtesy of Gerber
This year the company selected an 18-month-old boy named Lucas, to be the winner of the 2018 Gerber baby contest. Lucas was born with Down syndrome, marking this as the first time in company history that a baby with Down syndrome has been chosen for this role.
According to multiple media outlets, Lucas’ photo won over the hearts of the executive board as soon as his picture was shown. His smiley photo is taking the social media world by storm. Even some of the former Gerber baby winners posted on Instagram to congratulate him.
This was a great way for Gerber to advertise their brand, in such a positive way. It shows that all babies are beautiful, and that any child has a chance to be the face of their company.
Since 1928 Gerber’s brand message has always been their commitment to providing a product that is healthy and nutritious to all babies. Gerber brand website also states the brand’s innovative approach of creating a system that is stage-based, which means that parents can choose the right nutrition that is specific to their child’s stage of development.
During the recent announcement of the 2018 Gerber baby winner, Bill Partyka, President and CEO of Gerber stated, “Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber’s longstanding heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby, and this year, Lucas is the perfect fit.” Gerber is allocating the notion that disabilities should never be defined as a weakness, especially when it comes to babies.
For Lucas and his family, Gerber is advocating a change in the public perception of what the perfect “Gerber baby,” looks like. Lucas’ mother said, “We hope this opportunity sheds light on the special needs community and educates people that with acceptance and support, individuals with special needs have the potential to change the world – just like our Lucas!”
I hope that more companies follow what companies such as Target and Gerber are doing by advocating for children with disabilities. Target has recently released their new line of clothing, that accommodates kids with disabilities such as being wheelchair bound. Read more about Target's adaptive apparel for kids with disabilities at The Huffington Post.
When brands utilize the essence of positive promotion, it makes them that much more valuable. Hopefully, in the future more companies will catch on to this trend, and messages like Gerber’s and Target’s are created.
How do you think Lucas will impact Gerber’s brand? Did Gerber make the right decision? Let us know in the comments below!