Piri Weepu's baby bottle advert banned

I thought this was interesting so thought I'd share...

There was a snippet of Piri Weepu bottle feeding his 6 month old in the latest anti smoking ad, it has now been removed due to complaint from la leche league.

I'm torn... I think its important that the MOH needs to be consistent with their messages. But I am kind of shocked at how offended people got over this.

Yeah I was reading it this morning, to be honest I think they only people who would of actually noticed it in the ad would be La Leche Leauge, I think most people would just go awe isn't that sweet or not even notice.
I can kinda see where they are coming from as by showing him bottle feeding then it would go against the guidelines that the MOH, plunket etc recommend to bf till 2 years.
But I personally think it was a mountain out of a molehill.

I think it is ridiculous. For all we know it could be a bottle of expressed breast milk. I think it is really nice that he is being a hands on Dad.

Just read the link and must say I think its utter BS! Who's to say its not ebm in the bottle anyway! (I mean I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have wasted ad time showing him scooping formula into the bottle!) Its ridiculous! Besides, I don't see it as a baby being denied the breast, I see it as a father stepping up, and how is that ever a bad thing? I guess on the positive side, its giving more media attention to the anti-smoking campaign!

Totally hear ya.

But I think what it comes down to is you show an image of an All Black doing something and its powerful iykwim... thats why they had him do the anti smoking ad in the first place.

There is also a discussion on my news feed on FB about this at the moment, mostly angry dads I think! lots of 'women against women' comments and the like!!!

As usual, the media only reports the bits of the story that will get the most people up in arms about something that isn't even the issue that was having attention drawn to it in the first place.

For a start it wasn't just LLL who had concerns about that clip in an anti-smoking ad, other health agencies said it wasn't necessary or relevant, and the people who made the ad agreed it had no relevance and thus agreed to cut it.

I saw this somewhere else, and thought it was brilliant and am sure the person who wrote it won't mind me stealing it.

" What if it was one of those breastfeeding ads, which I think also featured all blacks helping out their BFing wives, and one of the all blacks was smoking, and smokefree NZ were asked for their opinion and said they felt it wouldn't help the smokefree targets the MOH has?"

Piri Weepu's baby bottle advert banned

I thought this was interesting so thought I'd share...

There was a snippet of Piri Weepu bottle feeding his 6 month old in the latest anti smoking ad, it has now been removed due to complaint from la leche league.

I'm torn... I think its important that the MOH needs to be consistent with their messages. But I am kind of shocked at how offended people got over this.

Having not seen the ad im just basing my opinion on the link provided.

Ummm... how can a man breast feed? Lol. Its not like he could keep the breast feeders happy that way. And who's to say there wasn't breast milk in the bottle? Should he have put a lable on it? Lol.

I dont see how a few seconds of a special bonding moment between a 6 month old and her dad got turned into a breast feeding debate. Major over reaction! Especially concerning as this will take the lime light off what the ad was for SMOKE FREE ENVIRONMENT FOR KIDS!! Which is an important message.

I think the breast feeding advocates got this one wrong.

I think the breast feeding advocates got this one wrong.

If they did, so did the 4-5 other health agencies who also said that him feeding the baby was irrelevant as it relates to an ad for a smoke free environment for families.

But then that's NOT newsworthy, and wouldn't start WW3 the same way saying it was cut because a bf organisation wasn't happy with it. wacko

As usual, the media only reports the bits of the story that will get the most people up in arms about something that isn't even the issue that was having attention drawn to it in the first place.

For a start it wasn't just LLL who had concerns about that clip in an anti-smoking ad, other health agencies said it wasn't necessary or relevant, and the people who made the ad agreed it had no relevance and thus agreed to cut it.

I saw this somewhere else, and thought it was brilliant and am sure the person who wrote it won't mind me stealing it.

" What if it was one of those breastfeeding ads, which I think also featured all blacks helping out their BFing wives, and one of the all blacks was smoking, and smokefree NZ were asked for their opinion and said they felt it wouldn't help the smokefree targets the MOH has?"

Im not sure the smoking example is a great comparison since I would consider smoking an 'unnecessary evil' which is becoming more and more unacceptable in todays society. You could hardly say bottlefeeding falls into the same catogry?

Who would have evn really noticed this scene had they left it in? Its not like people would have looked at it and thought 'I want to be cool like Piri Wepu, so Im going to bottle feed my baby'!

This all seems to be a big storm in a teacup.

Really people would decide to bottle feed because they see someone famous doing it? I think not.

How ridiculous!
If I was watching the ad, I would have thought "how lovely that he's helping his wife out". In my mind if it was going to inspire any action at all, it would inspire more dads to get involved in helping with baby.

I know for myself, I am absolutely terrified of breast feeding. Maybe even more scare about BF than labour!!! I know I am going to give it a good try but if I can't do it, I am not going to beat myself up about it!

If you ask me, the people from La Leche League saw an opportunity to get some publicity for themselves and jumped at it.

I'm not sure it is about publicity, as LLL has not really been depicted in a flattering light by this article.

Unfortunately peoples actions ARE influenced by famous people, which is why they have famous people in the anti smoking ads, and the pro breast feeding ads in the first place.

I really liked your example about the All Black smoking in the breast feeding ad C_hippie_kiwi. Just goes to show no one is damming bottle feeding or saying its bad, just that its not consistent with other messages being portrayed by the health sector in the media.
I think its easy to read this example the wrong way - Its not about comparing bottle feeding to smoking, its about comparing the reactions of the organisations behind them.

I'm not sure it is about publicity, as LLL has not really been depicted in a flattering light by this article.

Unfortunately peoples actions ARE influenced by famous people, which is why they have famous people in the anti smoking ads, and the pro breast feeding ads in the first place.

I really liked your example about the All Black smoking in the breast feeding ad C_hippie_kiwi. Just goes to show no one is damming bottle feeding or saying its bad, just that its not consistent with other messages being portrayed by the health sector in the media.
I think its easy to read this example the wrong way - Its not about comparing bottle feeding to smoking, its about comparing the reactions of the organisations behind them.

That is exactly what I was going to say!!! I just hadn't worked out how to put it grin

That is exactly what I was going to say!!! I just hadn't worked out how to put it grin

haha for some reason this topic has really gotten to me and I've been thinking about it a lot smile must have been all the angry dad comments I read on facebook about LLL being 'anti feminist' roll eyes

the thing is also they cut the scene as they don't want it to send the wrong message - yet because they are talking about it so much in the media people now know that Piri has given his daughter a bottle. So even though the relevant authorities didn't want it in the ad for their reasons they should of just kept it in there as theres been so much publicity about it anyway.
(hope that makes sense)

If they did, so did the 4-5 other health agencies who also said that him feeding the baby was irrelevant as it relates to an ad for a smoke free environment for families.

But then that's NOT newsworthy, and wouldn't start WW3 the same way saying it was cut because a bf organisation wasn't happy with it. wacko

I was meaning that taking the lime light off the message 'smoke free for kids' was wrong. As its just as important as breast is best.

I really liked your example about the All Black smoking in the breast feeding ad C_hippie_kiwi. Just goes to show no one is damming bottle feeding or saying its bad, just that its not consistent with other messages being portrayed by the health sector in the media.
I think its easy to read this example the wrong way - Its not about comparing bottle feeding to smoking, its about comparing the reactions of the organisations behind them.

I was starting to think that my friends and I were all wacko for seeing that it wasn't about comparing the two, but as you say comparing the reactions of the organisations behind them.

Sadly, as others have said, in a rugby mad country there are probably people who will look at that ad, think "if it's good enough for Piri Weepu, it's good enough for me" and do it. Does that make us all idiots...of course not, but then that's not WHY it was cut, the scene was cut because it wasn't relevant to what issues WAS being addressed.......but of course now everyone has lost sight of that in this because of HOW it was reported. They spent more than an hour with him and they couldn't get any other equally poignant footage in that time if that was what they were after?

I was meaning that taking the lime light off the message 'smoke free for kids' was wrong. As its just as important as breast is best.

True enough. smile

I was really over this yesterday as this took up alot of my FB wall and people weren't even talking about what they should have been talking about which was how great that an AB can devote his time to promote such a worthy health initiative as keeping kiwi families smoke free.

And the 'battle' still rages on today...but the NZ Herald got what they wanted out of the story, and I'm sure we'll be hearing about it for days/weeks to come yet.

I just wish these BF organisations would stop bashing FF mums!! Not everyone can or wants to BF!

I think its good to include Piri Weepu feeding his baby - alot of smokers seem to forget about second hand smoke and small children!

At the risk of being labelled a hippy and one of 'those formula hating people'......

http://thenaturalparent.co.nz/blog/?p=464

ooh and in case any kiwis are interested (or care) Piri will be on Campbell Live tonight with his mum.

As others have said... it wasn't promoting formula, the dad could have just as easily been giving bub ebm.

When we're constantly bombarded by adds promoting "mix feeding" and "moving on from breastfeeding" (karicare?) or free givaways and bulk discounts for buying S26... I think there are bigger issues with our media than a brief bottle feeding scene. (Although I'm in Aus... may be different in NZ?)

I also think that the BF / FF debate has created a bit of a stigma where bottle feeding is concerned. I think LLL should be focusing on having more images of BF in the media rather than trying to ban images of bottle feeding.

The mental stability of those behind the pro breastfeeding organisations I always find a bit concerning. Not only have they handed the media the ability to make a mountain out of a molehill, they have taken away the anti smoking message and placed the focus squarely on bottle feeding. The ad is now a bottle feeding ad, irrespective of their attempt to create a 'ghost' of that scene.

Sometimes I just wish they would stop forcing the message so hard as it makes me wonder if it actually puts people off BFing. Put the message out but stop short of being controlling with the ultimate effect of people tuning out.

I'm in 2 minds about this. I don't really see the big deal in that the guy was innocently giving his daughter a bottle whilst the add was being filmed. But I do see that if everyone sees that well he is bottle feeding so it's fine if I do it. Hmmm may have been taken slightly too far though.

As others have said... it wasn't promoting formula, the dad could have just as easily been giving bub ebm.

When we're constantly bombarded by adds promoting "mix feeding" and "moving on from breastfeeding" (karicare?) or free givaways and bulk discounts for buying S26... I think there are bigger issues with our media than a brief bottle feeding scene. (Although I'm in Aus... may be different in NZ?)

I also think that the BF / FF debate has created a bit of a stigma where bottle feeding is concerned. I think LLL should be focusing on having more images of BF in the media rather than trying to ban images of bottle feeding.

^^^ This

True enough. smile

I was really over this yesterday as this took up alot of my FB wall and people weren't even talking about what they should have been talking about which was how great that an AB can devote his time to promote such a worthy health initiative as keeping kiwi families smoke free.

And the 'battle' still rages on today...but the NZ Herald got what they wanted out of the story, and I'm sure we'll be hearing about it for days/weeks to come yet.

Your right. I think we should all be focusing on the actual message NOT the rifraf surrounding it.