‘Going to be a big hit:’ Bend business optimistic about local super-bowl ad encouraging early allergen introduction to babies
Matthew Draxton
Bend, ORE. (KTVZ) — A local baby food company is making the most of Super Bowl Sunday. Square Baby, initially founded in 2018 by Katie Thomson, is using an ad spot to spread awareness about early exposure to food allergens, with a clever and cheeky twist.
They’ve created the “Deez Nuts” campaign to educate and encourage parents to introduce food allergens to their babies.
Julie Gonzales, a professional chef and mother, shares her thoughts on the campaign saying, “The Deez Nuts campaign is brilliant because not enough new parents are talking about allergen introduction, and there’s a real fear around it.”
Gonzales and her daughter Beau are navigating food introduction together.
She continued, “as a new mom, I was not aware of allergen introduction. I just thought throw all the food out there and and let them try it. So, being introduced to Square Baby was not only about food, but it was about education for me.”
The ‘Deez Nuts’ campaign aims to spread awareness of resources available to parents when it comes to introducing allergens to young children.
Thomson reflects on the last few months coming up with and executing the campaign. She said, “I think it’s going to be a big hit. I think it’s going to raise some eyebrows. I think it’s going to start some conversations about food allergy prevention. And that’s really what it’s all about.”
Thomson point to the LEAP study being “really the first one that showed that introducing allergens like peanuts as early as 4 to 6 months of age helps prevent, peanut allergies by up to 80%.”
According to Food Allergy Research and Education, eight percent of children and eleven percent of adults have at least one food allergy. Plus, food allergies have risen 50% from 2007 to 2021.
Thomson cites a CBS News Report saying “we’ve seen 60,000 baby’s lives have been saved since the new introduction guidelines have come out. I mean the science is undeniable.”
Gonzales adds, “I don’t think it has to be a fearful approach. You just gotta educate yourself and take baby steps. pun intended.”
The ad leans on humor, as seen through it’s name, which emphasizes one fo the biggest allergens parents are facing with their kids: a nut allergy,
In the 30 second Super-bowl Sunday commercial expect to “see babies rapping on the hood of a car with a Square Baby license plate. We see little infants as scientists showing the data and food allergies declining.”
More information on the ‘Deez Nuts’ campaign can be found at the Square Baby website, along with additional resources and educational material on early allergen introduction. It will also include a full menu of allergen options for parents to pick through.