Bobbie, the fast-growing formula brand, follows its groundbreaking Times Square billboard of Molly Baz breastfeeding her infant with three new ads heralding everyday moms as “the OG influencers.”
The startup will use the high-profile media buy in midtown Manhattan to feature as many as a dozen of its customers in the campaign, debuting for Mother’s Day and running through the year.
While the company has collaborated with a number of celebrities and internet stars—Naomi Osaka, Ashley Graham, and Baz among them—the new work pulls from Bobbie’s community of loyalists.
“We realize the power of this location—it’s the mecca of billboards, and it gets people talking,” Kim Chappell, chief brand officer, told ADWEEK. “We wanted to use it to make these moms feel special and seen as the original influencers, with no blue checks or big followings required.”
The initial ads do not include images of women breastfeeding their babies—part of the controversy over the Baz billboard—but Chappell said the company “will continue to show authentic feeding journeys, and that includes breastfeeding” during the campaign’s run.
Bobbie searched for customer stories in a few major metro markets, deciding to highlight three women for the 2025 launch: Melissa, who is in her 40s and had a complicated road to pregnancy through IVF; Leila, who combo feeds her newborn with breast milk and formula; and Mojdeh, a 54-year-old mom of a preemie.
The women got the glam treatment, including hair, makeup, and styling with their little ones, along with a professional photo shoot. They were under the impression that their ads would appear mostly in social content—they were not told about the Times Square billboards.
Part of the women’s participation in the campaign included a trip to New York for a meet-and-greet with brand founder Laura Modi. When they stepped out of cars at the bustling location, they saw the massive outdoor ads for the first time. A video crew captured the reveal and their reactions: No surprise, happy tears ensued.
