Method: Pregnant Women are Not Pigs

I have always admired Method from a marketing standpoint. However, when I opened the company’s e-newsletter this week, I was totally flabbergasted when I saw:

Surely they weren’t communicating that pregnant women eat like pigs?! Yes… they were. Click playlist and watch “Super Pregnant”.

I understand the concept of what Method was hoping to communicate and the story behind Charles and Francine, but this time it failed miserably. Considering a big target audience is likely women and specifically moms. There are other ways to capitalize on the milestone of being pregnant and having a baby… cleaning baby clothes, cleaning the nursery, selecting the right non-toxic cleaning products, etc.

Method disrupted and transformed the home care industry. It made hand soap something you wanted to display on your counter, and really educated consumers on the type of chemicals in your cleaning products (or not in Method’s case). It created a mission – People Against Dirty – that the consumer marketplace could rally around. It made home care products “fun”.

But there is nothing fun about portraying pregnant women like pigs. Women struggle greatly when pregnant. Our bodies are changing dramatically and most of us focus on eating healthy, not wolfing down hot dogs and wings. Have some sensitivity for your audience Method. #methodmarketingfail