There really isn’t such a thing as a baby that’s not cute. Whether they are big and rolley-polley or small and cute as a button, they will all make you pause and say “aww!”.
This is why every year, infant nutrition brand Gerber knows that the best place to search for their next baby model is right within their own customers. That’s right, the 2020 Gerber Baby Photo Search conwtest is on again!
History of the Gerber
Gerber was founded by pharmacist Henri Nestlé in 1867. His neighbor’s newborn baby was unable to breastfeed, so he created a specially formulated mixture to replace the nutrients lost from the lack of breast milk. This was the world’s first infant food. The baby’s health did so well on that mixture, that other mom’s soon wanted in. Before Nestlé knew it, the formula was being sold all over Europe. He founded what was then known as Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé. (2)
Many years later in Fremont, Michigan in 1927, Dorothy Gerber’s pediatrician advised her to begin straining solid foods for her seven-month-old daughter. The process was long and took several attempts to get the right consistency. Dorothy’s husband suggested that perhaps it could be done easier and faster at the couple’s canning factory. When workers at the plant began asking for samples to take home to their own children, the Gerbers knew they were onto something. (2) Nestlé acquired Gerber in 2007. (3)
Read: Rainbow Babies: Children Who Heal Their Families of the Most Inconceivable Pain
The Gerber Photo Challenge
The first Gerber photo challenge in 1928 wasn’t actually a picture challenge at all. It was an art competition where artists submitted their works to be considered for the “mascot” of the company. Despite all the extraordinarily detailed paintings and artworks that were put in the running, the piece that won was a simple charcoal sketch done by a woman named Ann Turner. This drawing went on to be the face of Gerber for over a century. (1)
Gerber finally held its second competition in 2010. The photo search is now an annual competition where babies (well – their parents, really) compete to represent the brand for a full year and take home cash and other prizes. (1)
The 2020 Search
For the 10th edition of the contest, Gerber has decided to move the rules forward into the new decade. Now, instead of just photos of their child, parents can enter videos, too. The contest rules are as follows:
- You must be a legal resident of the United States
- Submission period: February 5th at 12:01 am Eastern Time (ET) and end February 21 at 11:59:59 pm ET.
- Judging period: February 5, 2020, at 12:01:00 AM ET and ends February 28, 2020, at 11:59:59 PM ET.
- Must be 18 years of age or older and the legal guardian of the child being entered.
- Baby must be between 1 day and 48 months old at the time of entry.
- Maximum of 1 entry per child per family (twins and other multiples are an exception).
Read here for the full list of contest rules.
The prize for the 2020 competition is $25, 000 USD cash, plus your baby will be named a Gerber Spokesbaby. (4)
Baby’s will be judged by (1):
- The child’s visual appeal in the photo or video;
- The child’s expressiveness in the photo, and
- Consistency with Gerber’s heritage and its “Anything for Baby” mission.
Do you think your baby has what it takes to be the next face of Gerber? Go here to enter your baby in this year’s contest.
Good luck to all the participants!
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