Frida (company)
 | |
| Frida | |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Baby care, postpartum assistance, fertility recovery |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Kaisa Levine |
| Headquarters | Miami, Florida, U.S.[1] |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Website | frida |
FridaBaby, LLC,[2] doing business as Frida, is an American company specialising in baby care, postpartum, and fertility recovery products.[3] Founded by Kaisa Levine in 2007 to distribute a Swedish invention she had retitled the NoseFrida, a tube that is used to extract infants' snot orally,[4] the company was expanded by Chelsea Hirschhorn, who was hired as CEO in 2014[5] and stayed on through its 2020 acquisition by SC Johnson.[6] The brand has since become known for provocative marketing that avoids euphemisms[7] and calls attention to social stigmas surrounding issues such as breastfeeding.[8]
Controversies
Multiple of Frida's advertisements have been challenged and banned. In 2018, Frida attempted to release a billboard promoting the MomWasher, a peri-bottle for use on a postpartum body, using the slogan "Trust us, your vagina will thank you" in various American towns and cities. Most markets rejected the billboard and proposed using neutral terms such as "bottom" or "body" in place of vagina,[7] ultimately the advert only ran in New York City.
In 2020, Frida released a commercial - given the title "Oscars Ad Rejected" - in which a postpartum mother struggles to use the bathroom, with the company claiming both to the press and in the opening of the video itself that it had been submitted to the American Broadcasting Company for airing on the 91st Academy Awards, to which Frida claims it was rejected for being "graphic" and containing "partial nudity", though Frida insisted that the commercial was not "violent" or "lewd". ABC refused to comment on the matter.[9][10]
In 2026, Frida would become subject of a boycott[11] for use of sexually provocative marketing in contexts involving infants, dating back to 2020 at least, including taglines printed on boxes of rectal thermometers reading "How about a quickie?",[12] social media posts featuring an illustration of a rectal thermometer being used on an infant claiming "this is closest your husband is going to get to a threesome", an Instagram post depicting a photograph of a baby with white snot on its forehead, resembling semen with the caption "What happens when you pull out too early",[13] and an Instagram post soliciting photographs of infants' feces-stained diapers with "blur not necessary".[8]
In an email disclosed to USA Today, a Frida representative claimed that the intent of the innuendo was to "make awkward and difficult experiences feel lighter", with the company promising on Instagram to retire "legacy assets".[14] The team page was also removed from the website.[8]
Joe Foley of Creative Bloq described the innuendos as an example of a "line in the sand" in relation to the phenomenon of brands using "sassy" personalities for social media marketing.[8] When the controversy was discovered, rival brand Safety 1st released a video on TikTok showcasing its products with the caption "we'll stay in our lane: helping babies." and a description starting with "Baby care doesn’t need to be loud. It needs to be reliable", which was interpreted as a response to the scandal.[15]
References
- ↑ "California Supply Chain Website Disclosure". Frida | The fuss stops here.
- ↑ Anthamatten, Walder Wyss Ltd-Sylvia; Dentand, Claire (November 28, 2025). "FRIDA KAHLO v. FRIDA When Similar Names Do Not Confuse". Lexology.
- ↑ Cella, Sydney (February 24, 2025). "Chelsea Hirschhorn". CNBC.
- ↑ Dundas, Suzie. "Fridababy's Snot Sucker Makes Big Bucks Off The 'Gross' Parts Of Parenting". Forbes.
- ↑ Raphael, Rina (July 30, 2019). "Fridababy launches new line for the harsh realities of postpartum recovery". Fast Company.
- ↑ "S. C. Johnson & Son Inc. Outlook Revised". S&P Global Ratings. September 15, 2022.
- 1 2 "See why this billboard for a postpartum cleanser was called offensive". TODAY.com. September 24, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 "The Friday Baby controversy explained". Creative Bloq. February 15, 2026. Archived from the original on March 9, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ↑ Moghe, Sonia (February 10, 2020). "The Oscars ad that hits home for me is one you won't see". CNN.
- ↑ "Frida Mom | Oscars Ad Rejected". February 5, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Millward, David (February 13, 2026). "US babycare brand accused of sexualising children" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ↑ Rascouët-Paz, Anna (February 14, 2026). "Frida Baby used sexual innuendo in its marketing. It sparked an uproar". Snopes.
- ↑ "Frida Baby accused of 'disgusting' marketing tactics". February 13, 2026.
- ↑ Gomez, Julia. "Parents are mad over 'sick' Frida Baby ads. The controversy explained". USA TODAY.
- ↑ Bobic, Chrissy (2026-02-17). "Safety 1st Not-So-Subtly Drags Frida Baby After Parents Slam 'Sexualized' Baby Ads". Mom.com. Retrieved 2026-04-27.