Let’s be honest—advertisements rarely capture the essence of real life. In the polished realm of marketing, genuine experiences often take a backseat to idealized imagery. Jewelry commercials, in particular, tend to dramatize every significant moment, with Kay Jewelers being a prime example of this trend. Among their many ads, one stands out as a particularly unrealistic portrayal of new motherhood.
In this specific commercial, a radiant young mother sits in a soft white robe, rocking her newborn daughter after a late-night feeding on Christmas morning. Her husband emerges from the shadows, having gotten up just to light the Christmas tree and present her with a watch. While this may seem like a romantic gesture, it completely misses the mark on what new mothers experience.
This ad first aired during the 2009 holiday season, coinciding with my own journey into motherhood. I would often see it while nursing my baby, and it sparked a wave of frustration, as I found it to be a glaring misrepresentation of reality.
According to Kay Jewelers: A new mother is the picture of tranquility, effortlessly waking for a 2am feeding with flawless skin and perfect hair, wrapped in a cozy robe.
In Reality: When I reluctantly woke for those nighttime feedings, I was more likely to resemble a zombie, with pale skin and messy hair. I usually wore the same clothes from the day before—often stained with milk and other remnants of motherhood. The plush robe? Not a chance. Instead, it was dirty yoga pants and nursing bras that defined my nighttime attire.
According to Kay Jewelers: A new mother is happy to be awake in the middle of the night, gently rocking her child.
In Reality: I can admit that I wasn’t thrilled to be awake when the only thing on TV were infomercials. Once my daughter was fed, I hurried back to bed, desperate for any sleep I could grab before the next feeding.
According to Kay Jewelers: Those first weeks of parenting are so blissful that a husband would surprise his wife during a midnight feeding with a token of his love.
In Reality: The early days of parenthood are far from romantic. No sleep-deprived dad is voluntarily getting up in the middle of the night unless he’s been explicitly told to do so. Most often, he will be searching for his lost sense of self in the chaos of new parenthood, not bestowing gifts.
If, hypothetically, my husband had joined me for a 2am feeding, I would have likely passed our content baby to him and gone back to sleep before he could even light the tree. While this may seem harsh, it’s a lot more reflective of the truth than the commercial’s fantasy.
This commercial, along with the marketing team behind it, completely overlooks the realities of new motherhood. The ad concludes with the father asking if their newborn will remember her first Christmas. To answer that—no, she won’t remember a thing.
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In summary, the portrayal of motherhood in advertisements often strays far from reality. The chaos, exhaustion, and unglamorous moments are what make the experience genuine, rather than the idealized versions presented in commercials.