I was baffled by how a campaign like the 2022 Balenciaga scandal could ever be approved. Having worked within rigorous campaign standards, I couldn’t fathom how this oversight occurred—unless, of course, no one saw it as problematic, or they simply didn’t care, or, even worse, they thought it would be great PR. Witnessing that campaign sparked the idea for Grip Baby, the first baby brand ever to refuse to profit from the images of children. There was no blueprint for the brand, but I was determined to make it happen.
Digital privacy will inevitably be a significant issue for our children. We are the adults in the room—we must do better in protecting them from online predators, because even the most innocuous photos can end up in places we could never and would never want to imagine. Here’s how brands can commit to ethical marketing and seek innovative ways to promote their products without exploiting children.
Prioritizing child privacy
Before launching a campaign, brands should evaluate if including children’s images is completely necessary. If children are featured, obtain explicit parental consent, clearly outline how images will be used, and secure the content against third-party access. Lego, for example, has strict guidelines for using images of children in all campaigns and often refrains from showcasing faces in user-generated content on social media, focusing instead on creativity and play.
Brands can avoid showing children’s faces altogether by opting for creative angles or focusing on hands or silhouettes. They can anonymize children’s information, not tagging or identifying them by name or other personal details, to help protect their digital footprint. Target’s marketing often does this well by including diverse representations of family dynamics without personal identifiers, focusing more on products than individuals.
Embracing ethical marketing
Brands can establish a “no child exploitation” policy that prohibits using children’s images in exploitative or misleading ways. This could involve restricting retouching and respecting the authenticity of children’s lives by banning language or imagery that imply unrealistic expectations or “perfect childhood” ideals. Dove extended its “Real Beauty” campaign to children through Dove Kids without altering children’s appearances or suggesting unrealistic beauty standards, which helped set a benchmark for ethical marketing.