NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bobbie, the only mom-founded and led pediatric nutrition company in the U.S., along with renowned cook, cookbook author and new mom Molly Baz, are making history with a new billboard in Times Square—the first in the iconic advertising mecca in New York City to feature a breastfeeding mom. The billboard shows Molly, mom to 4-month old Gio (more lovingly known as Mr. Boots) confidently breastfeeding while shaking a bottle of Bobbie baby formula—challenging outdated stigmas around the choices parents make to feed their babies. Like Baz, 70% of formula-feeding parents are combo feeding in the U.S., meaning they use some combination of breastfeeding, pumping, and formula. She’s sharing the evolution of her journey into motherhood with Bobbie to continue to shake stigmas around how we choose to feed our babies. The campaign is part of Bobbie’s ongoing Formula Is Food initiative, launched alongside the new website FormulaIsFood.com.
“When we heard that Molly was combo feeding with Bobbie it was important to us that she led with breastfeeding on this billboard (not just formula). The fact that recent research shows one in five moms in the U.S. feels embarrassed or ashamed to breastfeed in public and 67% of parents feel guilty in their feeding choices*, it’s clear that parents are still not getting the societal support they need, no matter how they choose to feed their babies. Changing the culture happens when moms like Molly show us what should not only be accepted, but celebrated in public– and it’s a message we are proud to amplify,” said Laura Modi, CEO and co-founder of Bobbie and mom of four. “We hope that if Molly has the courage and confidence to bare all breastfeeding and shaking a bottle of formula in the middle of Times Square, that every mom who sees it feels empowered to feed however they want, wherever they want, too.”
This is a full circle moment on the exact same billboard where Molly Baz ignited a cultural conversation earlier this year when her pregnant belly was deemed “too provocative” and removed from a billboard ad featured by the modern breastfeeding support company, Swehl. The moment highlighted the double standards on women’s bodies that persist in advertising and fueled important conversations about normalizing and celebrating the female body during pregnancy.
Now, as a new mom, Molly is back, to continue that conversation and celebrate her postpartum body. The image illustrates her feeding journey, moving from exclusive breastfeeding to combo feeding. With Gio on her kitchen counter, the well-known chef confidently holds both baby and bottle, making a clear statement: "Everybody’s gotta eat".
“I never thought I would be a poster child for shaking motherhood stigmas, but as a new mom with a platform who is going through this experience in real time, I’m proud to bare all for the sake of moving us forward as a society,” Baz said. “We still have work to do to destigmatize pregnancy, breastfeeding, formula feeding and a woman’s body in any way, shape, form or size. I hope this campaign brings us one step closer to achieving that.”
The campaign’s message is clear: there’s no right or wrong way to feed your baby—only what’s right for you. Bobbie and Molly are on a mission to dismantle the so-called “breast vs. formula” debate, showing the world that every parent should feel confident in their choices.
Through their Formula Is Food campaign, Bobbie aims to educate parents about the ingredients that go into formula. A recent survey revealed that 87% of parents couldn’t name three ingredients in their baby’s formula. As a crucial source of nutrition and first food for many infants, formula must meet the highest standards for quality and safety. Beyond powdered milk, Bobbie is using its platform to create lasting impact for American families by funding infant feeding research that drives innovation and advocating for policy changes that impact their community of parents.
For more information about the campaign and to learn more about Bobbie’s Formula Is Food initiative, visit FormulaIsFood.com.
*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6866173/
About Molly Baz
Molly Baz is a celebrated cook, NYT bestselling author, and content creator. Known for her bold, empowered, and unapologetic style, she has built a strong following by sharing her love for food and, more recently, her journey into motherhood. Her experience moving from exclusive breastfeeding to combo feeding mirrors the experiences of countless mothers who seek flexibility and support in their feeding journeys.
About Bobbie
Bobbie is a purpose-driven pediatric nutrition company that exists to build a parenting culture of confidence, not comparison. Founded in 2018, Bobbie hit the market with its original European-inspired formula in 2021 as the first direct-to-consumer, subscription-based infant formula in the U.S. Today, it’s proud to be the only mom-founded and led infant formula brand in the U.S.. and the fastest-growing in the U.S. since the 1980s. Bobbie is focused on providing purposefully sourced, USDA Organic products made with simple ingredients—crafted right here in America, for American families. For more information, visit www.hibobbie.com.