“Win a Baby” and “Baby for Sale” is What’s Offensive
As you’ve probably heard by now, Hot 89.9, an Ottawa radio station is holding a “win a baby” contest where they are giving away three rounds of fertility treatments (most likely IVF since the value of the prize is priced at $35,000). Why? Who knows — most likely for the publicity this brings vs. the goodness of their hearts and a strong desire to help infertile men and women.
Or maybe not, maybe someone on staff is infertile and suggested this contest. After all, the quote in the newspaper sounds fairly sensitive:
“When one in six couples have trouble conceiving — that’s a huge percentage,” said Hot 89.9 co-host Jeff Mauler. “If we help out those families or individuals who are looking to do this then I think those people who are against it should see the bigger picture and realize that we’re actually trying to help somebody who couldn’t do this otherwise.”
Well, that went beyond my expectations.
So it’s not the sentiment behind it that bothers me, even though the mere existence of the contest is what has commenters and radio listeners up in arms (most are, as you’ve probably guessed, wondering why more infertile people won’t “just adopt”).
My problem with the contest is what they are indirectly promising and the image they are putting forth in people’s minds about assisted conception.
It starts with the poster which has a baby holding a sign that says, “win me” as if the naked, diapered baby is the goldfish you’ll go home with if you can throw the ping pong ball in the cup of water at the fair.
Just in case you’re still thinking that this ad could be seen in another light, you move onto the second picture, another baby naked, diapered baby with the statement that “she could be yours!” with, again, the ultra-cute caveat: “baby may not be exactly as shown” which appears on all three ads.
Yes, three ads, because there is actually a THIRD version that asks “are you my mommy?” Of course it doesn’t ask “are you my daddy?” because men aren’t baby-hungry like crazy women with their floating uteruses clouding up their brain.
So I’m really on the fence about a radio station holding a contest like this. On one hand, I want to congratulate in advance the person who wins it who may not have had the opportunity otherwise to attempt treatments.
And on the other hand…
It perpetuates this myth that fertility treatments work each and every time. That it’s closer to corrective surgery vs. a game of roulette. The reality is that treatments give people who would otherwise have a low-to-no chance at conceiving without assistance a statistical leg-up in the chance department. But it’s just that — a chance.
It is what makes fertility treatments — I think — particularly nerve-wracking and devastating for those without mandated coverage who are paying out-of-pocket. You are investing a large sum of money in a chance, and that financial burden has to become part of the decision-making process. If you knew for certain that you could save for three years, invest the money in the procedure, and walk away with a baby, I don’t think anyone would gasp at the ticket price. But what you are always paying for with fertility treatments is a chance.
And beyond that, this contest presents the baby as a tangible item to be won, and if it can be won, it could also be bought or sold like any financial prize. This does nothing to help the general public understand the reality of assisted family building, which is no different from unassisted family building. People pay for the skill of experts. They pay for the tasks various personnel do for them. They pay for procedures and medications and surgeries.
But they do not buy a baby.
At least, when fertility treatments, donor gametes, surrogacy, or adoption are done ethically, the money is not for buying a baby but rather paying for expertise or medical bills. Which is no different from any other baby. All children come with a price tag whether that money is going to the doctor who delivers it, a midwife practice, or a hospital stay. Those engaging in assisted conception or families built with assistance have a few extra bills, but all of those are for services — not the child.
So that’s where I am with this contest. What are your thoughts?
38 comments
I think the contest is great. But those posters are just… Wrong. Here’s hoping whoever wins this reads your blog and makes a comment live on the air that raises infertility awareness. That would be the ideal situation. Wishful thinking of course. But it would be nice.
Although I agree that the advertising for the contest is misleading, I believe the sentiment is right and there is no denying the end result is commendable: helping a family with the cost of treatments that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to pursue.
That said, its the advertising world and putting up posters that spelled out the difficult and honest truth of what IFers go through wouldn’t exactly rally people around their cause. I actually believe it would have an adverse effect on everyone would hope for. “Get $35k worth of treatments and MAYBE a baby!” It would flare up all those arguments that people make about “wasting” money vs adopting a child.
I think we have to focus on the good and forgive the advertising in this case as there is a whole lot of good that can come from it.
I’m with you all the way, Mel, both pro & con points. I applaud the philanthropy — but the idea that you can “win a baby” — a human being — like a kewpie doll at a carnival — is offensive — & the implication that you actually WILL get a baby out of the process is, of course, totally misleading. Not to anyone actually entering the contest, of course — I’m sure they know exactly what the odds are — but the general public who see & hear the ads & think “IVF = baby.” Unfortunately, not always; usually not even half the time.
P.S. I’m also curious as to how the entries are going to be judged. I suppose that (done well) the contest is a great opportunity to put real faces to infertility stories & generate public awareness of what we go through to build our families. But part of me thinks there’s something a bit off about encouraging couples to compete to tell the biggest, most convincing sob story — and win publicity & ratings for your station in the process. :p Of course, that’s what reality TV is all about these days, isn’t it?
Of course, I should talk. My grandparents entered — & won — a contest to get married as part of the grandstand show at the county fair in 1937. They had been going out together since they were teenagers, but it was the Depression & they didn’t have any money to get married. They were promised prizes to help them set up housekeeping from the local merchants as part of the prize package (some came through, others didn’t). It was kept a big secret & they were the closing act on the last night of the fair, with the showgirls as their wedding attendants (!). My grandmother would never talk much about it — I think she was quite embarrassed about it — but we found a hilarious item about it in the local paper that we read at their 50th wedding anniversary party. I thought (& still think) it was an amazing story.
The idea of helping someone find funding for IVF who wouldn’t have it is very positive to me. Letting others who are unaware know how tough IF can be and know people’s stories of struggling to fund treatment is also positive which I believe is part of the selection process. I agree that the implied “guarantee” isn’t good, though.
This is the first I’ve seen those posters, though, and they really turn me off for the reasons you’ve stated.
And that is exactly why I’m entering the contest.
As a fan of HOT 89.9, I’m thrilled about the whole thing! I listen to the station every day, for hours at a time. As a member of the Conceivable Dreams coalition for the funding of infertility treatments in Ontario, I can tell you that it was actually the Ottawa Fertility Centre that approached the station with this contest. And Conceivable Dreams is happy that they did!
As an infertile who got VERY lucky with an IVF and who wants a second child (and yes, we need IVF again to have one), and who is eligible, it only makes sense for me to enter the contest.
And as someone who knows the stats, the details, the heartbreak, who reads all our stories and prays daily for a plethora of us who are going through our own personal hell, I can speak to the statistics. I can sit behind the microphone and tell the stories. I can enlighten listeners. I can use the opportunity to educate.
Now as to the marketing behind the contest, meh… I’m obviously not a fan. We all know that you can’t actually WIN a baby. What you win is the chance to create one, under the same rules and regulations that cover the Ottawa Fertility Centre as that is where you’ll be treated if you win.
But the contest itself? Oh yes. I’m a huge fan. It can only serve to get people talking (GREAT… it’s election month in our province and health coverage is a provincial issue) and any publicity about infertility is a good thing. I’m all for it.
If I make it to the top five finalists, I’d only be too happy to continue sharing my story and having the support of the IF community and the details to share on the air would be absolutely wonderful.
I like the sentiment behind the contest. The posters are…no less misleading than Chuck E. Cheese kicking soccer balls with active kids on PBS or Disney channel. Advertising never tells the whole story, or people would never buy anything.
I see the point behind the objection, but the just adopt crowd would certainly pick up the truth about cost vs chances as a bludgeon. They wouldn’t want to hear about how older children in the foster program may go back and forth and aren’t necessarily available for permanent adoption. They wouldn’t want to hear that parents who sign up for adoption often back out at the last minute. No one wants to hear the nuanced truth behind anything. They might have to form a considered opinion instead of a knee-jerk one.
I think it’s a great opportunity for people who otherwise couldn’t afford it or would have to save a long time to get there. From my understanding the voting is done by the people, from reading the different stories on the website. With that said it’s a huge opportunity for this community to participate in the outcome! The different stories all made public must make for more understanding about IF and IVF. I also think as someone mentioned that sometimes you might need to take the positive with the negative. The ads are not the reality but I’m sure that everyone who’s applying for the contest already knows it – and if nothing else, more people will during it and afterwards.
Good contest, bad publicity posters.
The fact is that nearly 70% of couples who undergo treatment will take home a baby. That is up from the 65% statistic when I started on my ttc journey. Those are pretty damn good odds. It takes an average of 3 cycles to get pregnant (which is where the insurance ppl came up with their 3 cycles covered that most have adopted). So, if the station is covering three cycles there is a pretty good chance, depending on the couples age, natch, that they will walk away with a baby. The effectiveness of ART treatments keeps going up, and the cost is slowly going down. Yeah!!!
I still think that whoever made the posters for the radio show should be fired, though.
My first thought is how do I enter. Second thought though is yeah, sucky campaign posters. I think that associating winning the contest with actually getting a take home baby is a little scary as what if it doesn’t result in a take home baby. How then does the radio station spin it to look good or like they did something good.
Because I do believe that the creators of the poster mean well, I personally have no issue with it (though I understand your point, and wouldn’t down someone for taking issue with it – I can see that side as well). To me, it’s a typical ad. Just like appliance commercials use expecting couples, and that e-trading site (I think it’s an e-trading site, I don’t currently have tv so I can’t be sure…) uses a talking baby as their “spokesman”, it’s not uncommon to see babies everywhere because, let’s face it, they’re so fricken cute. And most people (even some of us infertiles) will have their eye caught by an adorable baby. So naturally they used a baby to bring attention to their ad – it makes sense from that perspective. And even though their target audience is exactly the demographic that doesn’t like to see babiesbabieseverywhere, I know that I personally am willing to look past that for the sheer amount of good involved. Giving away 3 fertility treatments? I’m an out-of-pocket payer, and I’m flat broke, which is why I haven’t done any treatments in over 2 years. My odds are fantastic with IVF, but money stands in the way of even doing an IUI. There are others like me – the forgotten infertiles who *aren’t* draining their bank accounts because we don’t have one to drain (my $300 IUI had as much or more of a financial impact on me as some of the $10,000 IVFs do for some of the others in the blogosphere, thanks to our low income/lack of savings). If I lived there, I’d be entering that contest without a second thought, and damn what the fertiles have to say and damn the “false hope” from the ads. I guess I speak from a different perspective when I say that yes, maybe it’s a little sensational, but that’s just advertising for you. It’s not like the recent facebook meme that did no good and hurt people in the process, this is doing some real good!
I just wonder how the station will treat the winner – will they parade her out as some baby-crazy infertile or will they actually take this chance to get a REAL-LIFE story out there of heartbreak and possibly loss in a mature and educational way? That, to me, is more worrying than the posters.
I don’t like how they’ve presented it but the radio host’s response was perfect. What he said brings awareness to how many people out there really are struggling. The posters are silly and gimmicy and they do perpetuate the idea that we are “buying” our kids, but who cares if three families get to try IVF that otherwise couldn’t have?
…the fuck?
Just posting my initial reaction. Need an hour or so to really wrap my brain around this and reply with something of substance.
But seriously… the fuck?
From what I understand, the draw back to this contest is that the contestants have to agree to surrender any right to privacy. The station chooses finalists and their listeners chose the winners. That means the finalists have to share their story on air and probably online, and reveal every detail about their painful journey and themselves to the entire city.
I think about the couples that will be selected as finalists but won’t win. They will suffer yet another IF-related loss. As if this wasn’t painful enough. They will go through a very emotional process and face a lot of adversity and criticism (who knows what crazy people may do?!). People on the message boards I am sure will tear them apart. All I can say is that I hope these finalists have very thick skin. And I hope those that don’t win can cope with the rejection, disappointment and loss. No doubt that for some, this is a desperate, last attempt resort. All of us suffering from IF also face varying degrees of desperation, but I worry about those who may hold onto this idea of winning as their last and/or only hope, only to have it fail.
Or what about the couple that wins and if, after these three attempts, they remain as they started? They will have gone through months of the media circus only to be left with feelings of shame, embarrassment, and not to mention devastation. A lot of us have these emotions after failed cycles, but at least we weren’t put under a public microscope.
I really hope this station handles this contest and all it implies with dignity. I really hope they treat every one involved as they would want to be treated. These are people that are hurting. They are scared. They are sad. Maybe they are angry. Maybe they feel like the world is against them. No one understands them. If they do, this may either tremendously help them, or hurt them. I think it’ll be one or the other.
So I really hope this station is armed with professionals that can help these people, help The Cause, and that they won’t let us all down. I hope they prove us to be the cynical, pessimistic IF’ers we can be sometimes 😉
This contest is awesome!
Well, my first question was – what if don’t want a white baby, what if I want a black one – do they have one of those? Or perhaps a bi-racial baby – any in stock?
Then, I had to go to the radio’s website and read the contest rules and regulations to see if it were true. Wow. I had hoped they would promise contestants the option to remain anonymous or use some fake name or something because if they have the misfortune of being like my husband and I (and others I know) then they would have to endure all the media exposure only to have people ask them on a daily basis if they’re pregnant yet – and then have to answer no over and over again.
Do they have to pee on a stick in public? What if there’s a chemical pregnancy or a miscarriage?
Is that what infertile couples are left with – competing with one another to get a chance to play IVF roulette? Spin the wheel, inject yourself, EVERYBODY’S A WINNER HERE! How desperate do you have to be in order to tell your infertility story to a radio station? Pretty desperate I assume because I don’t know anyone who underwent IVF to be giddy to go into the details with their closest kin and friends never mind the general public. And then JUDGED to be the most WORTHY of winning. And the losers? What do they get after sharing their innermost dreams and desires? What do they get? What’s 2nd prize? A “sorry, you’re not a winner” pull tab from a Tim Horton’s cup?
Does the radio station pick only ones that have the highest chance of conception – so forget all the 40 year olds? Look, I know lots of women who had children via IVF – fabulous news, couldn’t be happier for them. I’m even glad that someone out there has a chance to win the funds to be spent at whatever clinic is offering their services. It’s better than nothing, I suppose. But Articia is right on a number of fronts. I just really hope that those lucky “winners” will be successful, cause no one likes a sad ending.
Huh. I’m mixed on my response.
On one hand, I’m happy that 1 lucky couple gets to have a CHANCE to have their dreams come true. Perhaps a chance that otherwise would not happen. The flip side of that echos a lot of what others have said: what if it doesn’t work? While we were pretty open about our IF and treatments, I’m not sure I would have wanted a reporter tailing my ute around town to see if I was knocked up!
Honestly, while the ads suck, all those embarking on IVF know the truth. And I quite frankly think it’s better than the baby race contest that was run at a station here awhile back where the winner was the couple that got knocked up first. Needless to say, I didn’t even bother entering that one.
I get your apprehension over the advertisement, but I think it is awesome. Finally a radio contest that gives hope to couples suffering with IF. I think it will raise awareness and hopefully, as you were saying, bring light to the “why don’t they just adopt?” population.
I applaud this station for pure genius, when it comes to their marketing idea, even moreso than the contest.
What I’d guess 98% of you posting have failed to understand, in your definitive “bad marketing” label, is the underlying concept BEHIND these types of poster ads.
…to make people TALK about the contest, for better or worse.
Much like those annoying Bench-ads-at-bus-stops that say “You just proved Bench Advertising Works!”, so have all of you.
Sucky Ads/Marketing Campaign/Posters?
Not by advertising standards.
In the early stages of a ratings period in Every Canadian Radio Market that counts, this station has executed this promotion with PRECISION. They’re getting EXACTLY what they want out of it, while also raising awareness about Infertility CONSTANTLY (our boss has asked us to take a listen, from time to time, to see what they’re doing to PRESENT the contest, to use as a model for our own attack plan towards our promotions.)
Kudos, Hot 89.9!
There goes on of my arguments about why IF is so hard. “It’s not like radio stations just GIVE BABIES AWAY!”
That being said, it would be really illegal for them to give away actual babies. You can’t even sell a body part on E-bay. So I guess this is their solution. Maybe this is like how you buy a car and then see the same brand (out of nowhere) everywhere, but dear lord am I seeing a lot of IF in the “outside” world right now!
I think you need to lighten up. The ads are cute.
You know, I like the fact that they’re doing the contest. I’d sign up if I lived there, and if I was new to this and not so damn cynical – I’d probably be pretty hopeful about it. It’s not like they’re giving away 1 cycle – that’s enough money for multiple cycles.
Meh. The ads? Sure, they don’t include statistics, but they are going to get attention. Isn’t that some of what we want?
As a marketing consultant who specializes in helping infertility providers promote their services, I am having a hard time articulating all the ways I am offended by this contest. Under the guise of ostensibly promoting infertility awareness with a cute contest about “winning a baby” while simultaneously providing a chance of a lifetime for some lucky couple, this offensive campaign will actually inflict more public relations damage than good for the infertility field. The only winner in this contest will be Hot 89.9, which is getting a ton of publicity because of it. Yes, they are clever marketers for their own station but make no mistake, they are not doing the infertility community any favors. The takeaway message that the public will gain from this stunt is that those who pay for infertility treatment on their own are buying babies. Where is the educational message about infertility being a disease/medical condition for which people should have access to affordable state-of-the-art treatment? Imagine if they did this with a campaign to give cancer patients a life-saving treatment that was not paid by insurance that was entitled “Win Your Life?” The outrage would have been overwhelming. With a few different word choices, however, they could have created an infertility campaign that could have been cute, educational and publicity generating. This is exploitation of people with infertility, not support of them. They could have been classy, but they chose to be crass.
Terry: I agree with you. It’s not like they are paying for adoption, which I still think would be an offensive manner (I’m not sure I like the idea of winning a person…)
It seems to me that this contest is coming from a good place. They’re not only giving a couple a chance that they may not otherwise be able to afford, but they are also bringing awareness to infertility (which is clearly what we all want), I’m not sure the ads are bringing exactly the message we would want with it (buying babies)…but I guess beggars can’t be choosers??
P.S. My husband just looked over my shoulder and said, “There’s a baby for sale? Use Paypal”!!! HAHA
You make an important point that has been on my mind lately. The truth is that, just as fertility treatments can’t guarantee the delivery of a baby, neither can the old fashioned method of conception.
The sensationalist wording about winning a baby is most definitely bothersome. Because you’re right, babies can’t be bought, and it’s much more similar to a game of Russian roulette.
Maybe “Win a chance at embryonic Russian roulette!” didn’t go over so well in the focus group?
I guess that I probably SHOULD be offended, but honestly, I’m just thrilled that somebody is going to get access to free IVF. Finances are such a huge barrier for so many people, and any opportunity for one infertile couple to at least have a chance at a baby without breaking the bank is something that I feel like I have to applaud. I wish that there was a contest like that near where I live.
I agree, the advertisement is a bit crass but I’m comparing this contest to my golf game. I may have to drive, chip, and putt my way to score way over par, but at least I’m out golfing. If one person cocks their head or starts asking questions then this contest has done their job. I truly hope the winner is successful. Either way, I see it as a platform for education.
I agree with you that IVF is just a “chance”. THIS is what makes the contest so great. Not everyone can afford to take the chance to have IVF only to find out it did not work this time (possibly the ONLY time they could afford to do it). Why should assisted pregnancy be left for those in our society the have more money than others? Just because you do not earn the big bucks does not make you less of a (potential) parent. Lets get real….IVF is prohibitively expensive and NOT within most people’s budget. ALL the new Hot 89.9 is doing, is providing someone (or some couple) with that “chance” to have their lifelong dream come true. They are not guaranteeing that you will get pregnant, but I think they are hoping that the winner will at least have the opportunity to do something they could not otherwise do, to make that dream come true.
Way to go Hot 89.9….they always seem to be bucking convention (a bit). Other contests have been controversial, but I really believe they have the wishes of the contestants at heart. Just listen to the morning hot tub crew and you will know that they take this contest seriously…not just as a game where – oh, you picked the right number – here’s your baby!
Good luck to whoever they choose. I hope you have a sucessful treatment!
This is why we need infertility to be adequately covered.
Bea
READ THE FINE PRINT PEOPLE!!! No one is promising a baby. Yes, the advertising might seem like that or “distasteful” in some way, but, as with almost everything in life, you need to read the fine print. They do not promise a baby, they promise fertlity treatments which give you a chance. They are not giving it to the 100th caller, they are screening a few finalists and doing extensive tests to ensure the candidates are the “right fit” for the treatment should they be declared the winner.
Before opening your mouths at seeing the poster, read all of the details including the fine print and you won’t seem like a total moron when you make your comments.
I’m sad to say that Ottawa is my hometown and this is the station that I’ve always listened to. I heard the ad on Monday and was offended by it. I wrote to the promotions dept about the distasteful ad and how they’re exploiting couples that are going thru an awful ordeal. I haven’t heard back. But you know what I did get? A “newsletter” type email giving all the links to media that have covered this contest around the world. ‘This post was listed in there dear Mel. Maybe people will read here and see why this contest is so very tough to take.
Hmm, I’m torn. I guess for me, I expect tag lines and advertisements to be overly simplistic versions of what they represent, because not only is it wordy and ineffective to say “Win a baby! Hopefully. Or, at least, try for one, assuming you have a fertility condition that’s at least potentially reversible in the short term,” but it also doesn’t inspire much confidence. It’s tacky, sure, but I “get it” because that’s sort of the style of eye-catching ads.
Then again, I have one friend in particular who would do pretty much anything to get her hands on three free rounds of fertility treatment. I wouldn’t judge anyone for going along with the contest for that reason because although I was lucky enough to have my treatments covered by insurance, I know how expensive they can get.
And in that vein, I’d love to see the money also translate into covering adoption costs for a couple who chose not to undergo fertility treatment but was still trying to build a family.
anyone entering this contest is doing it because they NEED assistance in order to conceive, no one is going to enter if they don’t actually NEED it because why would anyone go through fert treatment if they didn’t need to? they wouldn’t, they’d have rocks in their head if they did.
my point is, people entering this probably have their eyes wide open to how [un]successful ivf can and often is.
i think it’s a great contest, bit like the ivf lottery that was talked about in england and here in australia – where you paid $20 for a ticket to go into the lottery. if it gives someone who couldn’t have otherwise afforded ivf just a CHANCE at winning, well i think that’s just great.
as for the adverts, i agree with the anon up there ^ the ads are designed to get people talking and you’re doing exactly that, so they’d done what they needed to do!
I too was wondering about babies of colour (I thought the second baby might be Asian but I don’t think so, on closer inspection).
Even leaving aside the issue of whether fertility treatment works for everyone for whom its appropriate, it was never going to be appropriate for us, because we got pregnant on our own just as often as people do with IVF, but lost all the pregnancies. So anything advertising IVF or similar is always a knife in the guts to me, because I get how hard it is not to be able to have birth children, but the treatments don’t work for us, and we always knew they wouldn’t.
I don’t love the marketing, but I just can’t fault them for actually doing something tangible to help some people struggling to have children (who are unfairly burdened with their health care treatment costs).
I have read a lot of criticism in the media for the marketing campaign and the concerns of commercialism of human beings; many of those commentators who are appalled by this contest rather than complaining about a contest should be appalled because people are being denied treatment for their legitimate health need. Some of those commentators are actually against assisted reproduction (either completely or for some people/groups/or some particular treatments) and it seems they will use any excuse to be morally “outraged” and “appalled” at just about everything related to assisted reproduction and find some way to use the example to slippery slope the whole thing (one article I read brought the issue of into slavery into the discussion).
I really hope that despite all the concern for the disappointing marketing ploy around the contest that some people who hadn’t thought about it before are ignoring the marketing issues and asking…why anyone should be stuck hoping to win a contest to get the medical treatment the need.
I know that this comment is late, but since I used this post as a reference when I posted about this link, I wanted to share. This is a link to the video of the radio station announcing the winners of the contest. I thought you would be interested in seeing it.
http://www.globalnews.ca/16×9/video/preview+threatened+fertility++part+2/video.html?v=2194243483&p=1&s=dd#video