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Popular brand Frida Baby, which sells postnatal care and baby care products, has come under fire online for some of its marketing strategies after an Instagram campaign posted five years ago resurfaced. The company says it is currently “decommissioning” some assets.
Customers began a campaign to boycott Frida products on social media in February, citing sexual innuendo in some of the company’s packaging and advertising.
“There’s a time and a place for adult humor. Baby products don’t,” content creator Chrissy Horton said in a video posted to Instagram on February 16. The post received thousands of responses and hundreds of comments.
In response to the recent backlash, Baby Frida said the brand has always used humor to discuss the messy aspects of parenting.
“From the beginning, Frida has used humor to talk about the real, raw and messy parts of parenting that aren’t often talked about,” Frieda said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY on Monday, Feb. 23. “We do this because raising a child can be lonely and overwhelming, and sometimes moments of levity can make a painful experience feel human, shareable, and survivable.”
In a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday, February 24, Frieda said it would retire “legacy assets” and change its tone in the future to “always be responsive to the moment.” Frieda did not specify which assets would be retired.
Here’s what you need to know about this product and the controversy surrounding it.
Baby Frida advertising, packaging with sexual innuendo
Screenshots of posts from Frida’s official Instagram page from 2020 and 2021 have resurfaced on social media, sparking a debate about the appropriateness of the marketing tactic.
USA TODAY scrolled through Frida’s Instagram page to see such posts. Newer posts don’t seem to contain sexual innuendo, but older posts were found to contain sexual innuendo. Internet sleuths also dig up posts and leave fresh comments.
Instagram users are criticizing the post below.
- The 2020 post included a photo of a baby with sweat on his forehead and the caption, “I’m hot and sweaty thinking about what’s going to rain tomorrow…”
- A 2020 post featured an advertising filter for the brand’s nasal aspirator with the caption, “Remember, inhale, don’t swallow. Don’t Google.”
- In another post from 2021, Frida announced new baby products with the caption, “Mom, what’s suitable for the top drawer of your nightstand, battery-powered, and available in your clutch when it’s hot and muggy?”
- A video posted in 2021 demonstrates how a nasal aspirator works on an infant, with the caption, “Bringing the game out strong.”
One of the products currently in stores, Frida Baby’s 3-in-1 Ear, Forehead + Touchless Thermometer, teases on the side of the package, “Would you like a little try?”
Internet discussion about Baby Frida’s post
Several screenshots of these past posts have been circulating on social media, sparking discussion.
“I’m really tired of your innuendo comments about BABY products,” one commenter wrote on a video of the baby with the caption “Pull the game hard.”
“This is a disease. @fridababy how did you avoid language like this for so long,” said another.
A petition has also been launched, ‘Hold Frida Baby to account for the sexualization of babies in its marketing’, calling on the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to investigate Frida Baby’s marketing practices.
“As a first-time mother, I was stunned to read these captions,” wrote petition creator Regan Montanez. “I had to look twice to make sure I was not mistaken.” The petition was created on Change.org in early February and has since garnered more than 27,000 signatures.
Some defend the company.
“It’s kind of funny, isn’t it?” content creator Daniel Anello wrote on Instagram about Frida’s marketing. “If you can snort snot out of a kid’s nose and find a little bit of humor and get a chuckle out of it, then that’s fine. That’s just packaging.”
Other commenters on Facebook also said they would continue using the product.
“I’m not mad. I’m going to keep boogieing out of my[baby’s]nose at Frida,” content creator Daniel Elizabeth said in a post.
Frida responds to backlash
In response to the renewed outcry online, Frida Baby issued the following statement via email to USA TODAY, in which the company noted the humor that has always been present in the campaign.
“While our products are designed for babies, our voice is always written for the adults who care for babies,” the statement continued. “Our consistent intention has been to make an awkward and difficult experience feel lighter and more honest, and to help parents feel less alone.”
Frida also said the humor was “personal” and not intended to “offend, push boundaries for shock value or make anyone uncomfortable.”
“We will continue to act with honesty, empathy, and courage. We will continue to evaluate how we express our voices to ensure that in each decision we make, our commitment to our family is unmistakable and our tone is always in keeping with the moment,” the brand wrote.
The company also responded on Instagram that it was “decommissioning some legacy assets” and “refining future policies.”
Baby Frida’s viral marketing history
Frida has a history of eyebrow-raising marketing that focuses on graphic pregnancy and parenting.
Recently, Frida created a Mardigrafroat to celebrate breastfeeding.
Frida Baby’s Instagram post read: “We live in a world that loves boobs. As long as we do what society wants us to do…” “But the moment your breasts start doing what they’re supposed to do: feed your baby, leak through your shirt, exist unevenly, painfully, honestly, everyone suddenly becomes embarrassed and uncomfortable.”
In October 2025, the brand launched a booger-themed candy that resembles an actual booger, and in August 2025, it partnered with New York-based small-batch ice cream company Oddfellows to introduce breast milk-flavored ice cream.
Contributor: Greta Cross, USA TODAY
Julia Gomez is USA TODAY’s trends reporter, covering popular toys, scientific research, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn ×Instagram, TikTok: @juliamariegz or email jgomez@gannett.com..
