New Media: B4baby puts pounds 1.2m in humorous launch ads

B4baby.com, the parenting information and e-commerce web site,

launches this week, backed by a pounds 1.2m adspend. It aims to stand

out by targeting prospective parents, as well as those with young

children.

A humorous ad campaign, created by AMV Advance, breaks this Friday,

featuring questions framed in the style of ’you always wanted to know,

but were afraid to ask’. Media is by CIA Medianetwork.

The ads will run in a range of lifestyle publications, including Hello,

Cosmopolitan and The Guardian’s Weekend section, as well as the

specialist parenting press.

Angie Moxham, managing director of Le Fevre, which created the launch

PR, said: ’Pre-pregnancy is an increasingly important area; a lot of

women are taking time to decide when to have children and are having

babies when they are older.’

The site, whose web communications strategy will be handled by Unity,

will work with medical experts, including the National Childbirth Trust

and the Health Education Authority, to provide a comprehensive guide to

parenting. Visitors can also e-mail the site’s panel of experts for

advice.

The site also includes video guides and an interactive forum area.

B4baby enters an increasingly crowded online parenting market. Rivals

will include babyworld.co.uk and mothercare.com. Webbaby.co.uk recently

announced an advertiser-funded TV show launch for the autumn, which will

be hosted by celebrity new mum Melinda Messenger (Marketing, June

8).

B4baby is backed by venture capital houses Elderstreet and Downing

Classics

This article was first published on Marketing