Facebook BLOCKS baby bottle company Tommee Tippee’s new breastfeeding advert for showing nudity

Facebook has blocked baby bottle company Tommee Tippee’s new breastfeeding advert for showing nudity.

The Newcastle-based firm has launched a breastfeeding campaign called ‘The Boob Life’, which it described as an unapologetic celebration of mothers, their bodies and their choices.

Tommee Tippee has faced advertising restrictions due to the social media platform’s policies, but has been allowed to show the clip as an organic post on its page.

The company says broadcasters are also prohibiting the video until after the watershed because of ‘excessive visible skin’. 

The advert was commissioned following research by Tommee Tippee that revealed 93 per cent of mothers felt their mental, physical and emotional struggles with feeding had gone unacknowledged. 

Tommee Tippee has faced advertising restrictions on Facebook due to the social media platform’s policies, but has been allowed to show the clip as an organic post on its page

The Newcastle-based firm has launched a breastfeeding campaign called 'The Boob Life', which it described as an unapologetic celebration of mothers, their bodies and their choices

The Newcastle-based firm has launched a breastfeeding campaign called ‘The Boob Life’, which it described as an unapologetic celebration of mothers, their bodies and their choices

The company says it aims to support parents through their feeding journey, whether they choose breastfeeding, pumps, bottles or a combination of the three

The company says it aims to support parents through their feeding journey, whether they choose breastfeeding, pumps, bottles or a combination of the three

Only one in 10 young mothers said they felt comfortable breastfeeding in public. 

Featuring real-life mothers and their babies, the company says it aims to support parents through their feeding journey, whether they choose breastfeeding, pumps, bottles or a combination of the three. 

Tommee Tippee UK’s Nicola Wallace said: ‘It’s outrageous and hugely offensive to women – we should be normalising breastfeeding in society and what real women’s bodies look like, not pandering to outdated societal views on what’s appropriate.

‘We are only just seeing real depictions of periods on TV for the first time, it’s not good enough, and Tommee Tippee are taking a stand. This is not just about mums, it’s about unobjectifying women’s bodies.’

Facebook says it understands that nudity can be shared for a variety of reasons, including as a form of protest, to raise awareness about a cause or for educational or medical reasons.

Where such intent is clear, Facebook makes allowances for the content.

For example, it may restrict some images of female breasts that include the nipple but it will allow other images, including those showing women actively engaged in breastfeeding and photos of post-mastectomy scarring.

It also allows uncovered female nipples in the context of birth giving and after-birth moments.

The advert was commissioned following research that revealed 93 per cent of mothers felt their mental, physical and emotional struggles with feeding had gone unacknowledged

The advert was commissioned following research that revealed 93 per cent of mothers felt their mental, physical and emotional struggles with feeding had gone unacknowledged

Tommee Tippee UK's Nicola Wallace said: 'It's outrageous and hugely offensive to women - we should be normalising breastfeeding in society and what real women's bodies look like'

Tommee Tippee UK’s Nicola Wallace said: ‘It’s outrageous and hugely offensive to women – we should be normalising breastfeeding in society and what real women’s bodies look like’

The baby bottle company's research also found that only one in 10 young mothers said they felt comfortable breastfeeding in public

The baby bottle company’s research also found that only one in 10 young mothers said they felt comfortable breastfeeding in public

But its advertising policies are different and when advertisers place an order, each advert is reviewed against these policies.

Under these guidelines, some content is prohibited, including nudity or implied nudity, excessive visible skin or cleavage, even if not explicitly sexual in nature.

The platform says it aims to strike a balance between allowing businesses and organisations to show ads that are of interest and value to people, while also making sure its global community feels comfortable.

A Facebook spokesperson said: ‘This campaign is important and we applaud the work Tommee Tippee is doing to support new mums in their breastfeeding journey.

‘We allow all posts of breastfeeding on Facebook and Instagram, but we do not allow adverts showing visible nipples. 

‘Ads are governed by a stricter set of policies because they receive paid distribution to appear in people’s feeds, and that’s why these were removed.’

The video has been praised by many, with scores of people leaving comments online.

Justine Roberts, founder and CEO of Mumsnet, said: ‘Feeding babies can arouse all sorts of emotions: bliss and sadness, pride and frustration, relaxation and exhaustion. 

A Facebook spokesperson said: 'This campaign is important and we applaud the work Tommee Tippee is doing to support new mums in their breastfeeding journey'

A Facebook spokesperson said: ‘This campaign is important and we applaud the work Tommee Tippee is doing to support new mums in their breastfeeding journey’

Featuring real-life mothers and their babies, the company says it aims to support parents whether they choose breastfeeding, pumps, bottles or a combination of the three

Featuring real-life mothers and their babies, the company says it aims to support parents whether they choose breastfeeding, pumps, bottles or a combination of the three

Justine Roberts, founder and CEO of Mumsnet, said of the advert: 'It shows feeding all in its unvarnished glory, from wet T-shirts, painful nipples and full-force toddler latches'

Justine Roberts, founder and CEO of Mumsnet, said of the advert: ‘It shows feeding all in its unvarnished glory, from wet T-shirts, painful nipples and full-force toddler latches’

‘This film captures all that and more. It doesn’t show the sanitised version of feeding that we’ve come to expect from ads, TV and film. It shows feeding all in its unvarnished glory, from wet T-shirts, painful nipples and full-force toddler latches to midnight bottle-juggling and sleepy dads.

‘It celebrates breastfeeding as it really is and dispels the frankly weird expectation that it should be done ‘discreetly’ and without any hiccups, which can leave many thinking that they must be “doing it wrong”.

‘Hats off to Tommee Tippee for bucking the trend and celebrating feeding babies for what it is.’

One social media user said on Tommee Tippee’s Facebook page: ‘What an absolute breath of fresh air. 

‘Showing real babies with real mums, with real situations. Normalise nipples and breasts being shown in breastfeeding advertising.’

Another wrote: ‘This is such a beautifully made advert, 100 per cent kudos to the team, absolutely got it spot on.’