Who Owns Frida? Brand Facing Backlash Amid Accusations of Using 'Sexual Jokes' to Market Baby Products

A leading infant care company has been plunged into a public relations crisis after social media users shared images of what they say are suggestive captions and slogans on products and marketing materials, sparking widespread condemnation and calls for boycotts.

The controversy centres on Frida, best known for baby and postpartum care products, which critics allege included sexualised language in promotions deemed deeply inappropriate for items intended for infants and families. Viral posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit have been viewed millions of times, igniting intense online debate over corporate boundaries in advertising.

Corporate Origins and Ownership Structure

Frida was founded in 2014 by Chelsea Hirschhorn, who remains the company's chief executive officer. Ms. Hirschhorn's personal experience with postpartum recovery and early motherhood inspired the brand's inception after she identified a gap in the US market for practical, design-focused baby care products.

The enterprise, incorporated as Fridababy LLC and headquartered in Miami, Florida, designs, manufactures and distributes a wide range of products for infants and mothers, from nasal aspirators and thermometers to humidifiers and postpartum kits. Its official website states that the company employs more than 130 people and emphasises ethical supply chain practices, including policies addressing forced and child labour risks.

Hirschhorn has cultivated a brand identity around candid discussions of the unglamorous aspects of parenting, seeking to 'make the raw reality of parenting...easier to navigate,' according to the company's careers page. Despite the disruption caused by the current backlash, Frida has not yet issued a formal public statement directly addressing the criticism over alleged sexualised marketing language.

The Backlash and Viral Spread of Material

The current controversy exploded after social media users began sharing screenshots claiming to show sexually suggestive phrases on product packaging and in older company social media posts. Screenshots circulating on platforms such as X include phrases purportedly associated with Frida Baby products.

One viral post that kicked off much of the current uproar on X reads, 'sexual jokes to market baby products is actually sick and twisted @fridababy this is absolutely appalling and disgusting,' and has garnered millions of views.

Social media users and parents have shared these screenshots widely. On Reddit's r/NewParents, a thread titled 'Boycott Frida Baby' collected accounts from users arguing that such language crosses an ethical line for infant products. Some have claimed that old posts have since been deleted and that negative comments on the company's social media feeds are being removed.

Not all commentary has been condemnatory. Some reviewers, including on Reddit, have called the controversy exaggerated, contending the humour was aimed at adult caregivers and that some captions may have been misinterpreted or addressed in different contexts.

Independent fact-checking by Snopes found that Frida has indeed used sexual innuendo in marketing since at least 2020, but it could not verify the authenticity of all viral images and noted that some posts have been deleted and no longer appear on official accounts.

Corporate Response and Public Reaction

So far, Frida's official response has been limited. A spokesperson provided a statement through Modern Retail asserting that the brand uses humour to acknowledge the 'real, raw, and messy parts of parenting' and that its intention has never been to offend or shock for its own sake. The statement emphasised that while the products are for infants, the company's 'voice' has always been aimed at the adults caring for them.

Despite this comment, some social media users and advocacy groups have called for further accountability and clarity, including a demand for explicit acknowledgment from the company regarding each of the campaigns in question. A Change.org petition launched in response has gathered more than 2,200 signatures from petitioners urging Frida to answer for what they describe as inappropriate marketing tactics.

Critics have also spotlighted the removal of certain pages from Frida's website, such as the 'Meet the Team' page that reportedly listed key marketing and packaging personnel.

The backlash against Frida stresses the fine line brands must tread when blending humour with products tied to vulnerable populations, especially infants whose safety and dignity consumers expect companies to protect implicitly.