Gerber Reborn for a New Generation
As part of an integrated marketing campaign, Gerber paid homage to imminent members of the Gerber Generation by throwing 1,001 simultaneous baby showers across the nation this past weekend, in partnership with House Party, an online community connecting people through parties. The showers took place at the homes of moms and moms-to-be who were selected to talk about the importance of good nutrition and introduce friends and family members to Gerber’s wide array of resources spanning from pregnancy through preschool. The parties mixed fun and education, featuring informational games, literature and Gerber product samples.
The “Gerber Generation” campaign, developed by DraftFCB, New York, employs the voice and aspirations of little ones to highlight the iconic brand’s stage-based nutrition products and resources for children from birth to preschool. The campaign, along with the ongoing expansion of the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Nutrition System, illustrates Gerber’s commitment to providing kids with the nourishment they need to thrive.
“We have been leaders in early childhood nutrition and focused on the issue of childhood obesity for years,” noted Rick Klauser, head of marketing at Florham Park, N.J.-based Nestlé Infant Nutrition. “Research shows that the nutrition children get in the first five years can affect their health forever. We thought the idea of telling the story to moms from the mouths of children from all walks of life, at every stage of development from birth to age four, was compelling. These children are the next generation, the ‘Gerber Generation,’ and they deserve a healthy start.”
The campaign makes prominent use of the new Nestlé Start Healthy, Stay Healthy packaging icons found on store shelves to help parents easily identify the right items for their children’s respective developmental stages. Package cues include a unique color-coded Milestone Symbol and a Benefit Band describing how each product meets the developmental needs of children at a particular stage.
All marketing communications, from direct mail to information on www.gerber.com, will incorporate the style and message of the Gerber Generation, with the aim of connecting with moms who are “evolving and [demand] information from multiple sources,” as Klauser puts it. Other campaign elements are TV, out-of-home billboard and print advertising; digital and social media; and consumer events and mobile applications that will launch throughout the year.
Nestlé Nutrition is part of Switzerland-based Nestlé S.A. Gerber Products Co., founded in 1928, became part of Nestlé in 2007.
The “Gerber Generation” campaign, developed by DraftFCB, New York, employs the voice and aspirations of little ones to highlight the iconic brand’s stage-based nutrition products and resources for children from birth to preschool. The campaign, along with the ongoing expansion of the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Nutrition System, illustrates Gerber’s commitment to providing kids with the nourishment they need to thrive.
“We have been leaders in early childhood nutrition and focused on the issue of childhood obesity for years,” noted Rick Klauser, head of marketing at Florham Park, N.J.-based Nestlé Infant Nutrition. “Research shows that the nutrition children get in the first five years can affect their health forever. We thought the idea of telling the story to moms from the mouths of children from all walks of life, at every stage of development from birth to age four, was compelling. These children are the next generation, the ‘Gerber Generation,’ and they deserve a healthy start.”
The campaign makes prominent use of the new Nestlé Start Healthy, Stay Healthy packaging icons found on store shelves to help parents easily identify the right items for their children’s respective developmental stages. Package cues include a unique color-coded Milestone Symbol and a Benefit Band describing how each product meets the developmental needs of children at a particular stage.
All marketing communications, from direct mail to information on www.gerber.com, will incorporate the style and message of the Gerber Generation, with the aim of connecting with moms who are “evolving and [demand] information from multiple sources,” as Klauser puts it. Other campaign elements are TV, out-of-home billboard and print advertising; digital and social media; and consumer events and mobile applications that will launch throughout the year.
Nestlé Nutrition is part of Switzerland-based Nestlé S.A. Gerber Products Co., founded in 1928, became part of Nestlé in 2007.