A baby and a puppy walk into a playgroup….
One of my favorite cultural commentators these days is Andrew Adam Newman. I have had the pleasure of working with Andy on a few pieces, and I must admit – I really adore the way his brain works. He gets it and that is certainly appreciated these days. His most recent piece, for Babble explores the Dog/Baby connection – and how the dog and baby industry are merging or at least sharing. He mentions brands that have gone “both ways” dog to baby and vice versa. And concludes with a Julia quote that attempts to explain the trend from a business perspective:
“A baby isn’t sitting up in his bouncy seat and saying, ‘I want a Bugaboo Stroller instead of a Graco,’ any more than a dog asks for coat,” says Julia Beck, a consultant whose company, 40 Weeks, advises maternity and baby companies. “People are defining themselves through their pets and their children. What breed of dog you have says a lot about you as a person, and there are certain people who put dogs in coats and certain people who don’t.”
Both baby and pet product purchases, Beck says, “are about caring for the most beloved creature in your life — and pumping up the adorableness of said creature.”
I might add that today (so freezing cold) I suggest we all put our ideals aside and put coats on both our dogs and our babies!
And Andy - you ROCK!