Hope in a bottle

I stumbled across this product in Italy. Not a familiar sight on shelves in the UK or Germany, but apparently marketing execs in the States hope it will pull in the mums.

It has a totally clear benefit: the baby will sleep. As it says on the US website, “There’s nothing like a good night’s rest, for your baby and for you.”

But my problem is how believable this is. If you’ve ever had to care for a baby or have ever tried to get a totally unhappy baby to just finally close those eyelids and shut up, the concept of a cream gently massaged into its chest being able to guarantee “a good night’s rest” sounds like a sick joke.

Small wonder that the American website recommends a few routines to relax the baby before putting it to bed. Which makes you realise – selling this product is not just about the product itself, it’s about showing you empathise with parents and what parenting is all about. It’s about showing that this little bottle of cream – that costs you a lot more than your standard body cream – sells understanding.

Charles Revson – the brains behind the braun of Revlon and the man who confirmed to many marketeers that a product is more than its contents – would like this product.

Why? Because it’s not a cream. It’s hope.