I cannot think of a more successful example of an American brand logo than the "Gerber Baby." Not only has that cute little face has been around for 90 years, but they just did something I think deserves some attention.
With the recent rise long overdue social movements like positive body image, equal rights and treatment for many walks of life, and the outing of people abusing their power in all sorts of awful ways; there is some great news that put a huge smile on my face.
Earlier this month Gerber selected a baby boy named Lucas as the 2018 Gerber Baby, a title they have been handing out since 2010. He was selected from more than 140,000 entries for his cuteness and contagious smile. His parents, Jason and Cortney Warren, could not be prouder of their precious bow-tie wearing "spokesbaby."
There is more to the story though. Little Lucas has what is called Down syndrome. There are a number of human disabilities that are apparent to the naked eye. Down syndrome is one of these impairments and affects roughly 1 out of every 700 babies born in the United States. I can tell you this is more than just a stat as I have an older sister with Down syndrome.
Growing up I was able to see the sad lack of understanding and compassion people uneducated about the disability could show towards a person with almost no ability to stand up for themselves. I remember watching the show “Life Goes On” as a child and really being able to relate to the fact that all most people need is a minute or two with an open mind to realize we are all human beings trying to find our way on this planet we all share.
Besides the social struggle, there are a number of financial burdens involved with caring for and providing a good quality of life. There are non-profits and big-hearted people all over the world providing employment, recreation, and in some cases just much-needed company. It would be great to see a little less effort put into entertainment and the pursuit of riches and more directed towards boosting us all whenever possible.
Like Mahatma Gandhi used to say:
A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.
I truly applaud Gerber for their selection. “The Today Show” and every news outlet that ran the story, and the super cute winning babies from previous years that made congratulations videos for Lucas. We need to see more cherishing of the less than perfect. As far as I am concerned we've covered enough of that rich "K" family already to last a lifetime.
Congratulations to the Warrens for their beautiful boy Lucas and for winning the title of 2018 Gerber Baby.
All images used with permission by Jason Warren.
Thanks for post. It's a feel-good story and I hope that it does help provide financial support for Lucas. I have Downs in my family and this hits close to home.
Thank you for checking it out Lee. I was certainly touched by the story. Thanks for sharing that about your family.
It's certainly a nice feel-good story as Lee Morris points out above, but it's also a great choice -- that baby is the cutest thing!!! As photographers we know better than anyone how someone can just magically connect in a photo, and based on the two images in this article, this baby definitely does. Thanks for sharing.
Agreed! Thanks, Paul.