This week, Gerber finally announced their adorable new spokesbaby for 2016! The iconic baby food company selected the winner out of 170,000 Gerber Baby 2015 photo search applicants.
Meet baby Isla from Troy, Michigan!
That smile! Those cheeks! That little hairdo! What a cute baby overload!!
Isla is one happy baby with that incredible smile and cute charm. While some of us may have trouble getting people’s attention, all this 7-month old has to do is look directly into the camera and flash those dimples and anyone would want to hear whatever baby talk she was babbling.
Those dimples won her the grand prize of $50,000 USD and Gerber clothing. Oh, and she’ll be appearing in some 2016 Gerber Baby campaigns. #nbd
Little Isla is also breaking some barriers as the very first Asian-American baby to be crowned the title of “Spokesbaby of the year.” How Courageous!
Her personality is definitely adorable and Isla proves that laughter is truly the best way to someone’s heart. In an interview senior media marketing manager, Bernadette Tortorella, agreed, "The photo search is not a beauty contest and we do believe every baby is a Gerber baby, but we fell in love with Isla's cheeky smile and fun hair!"
Bubbly Baby Isla,
Today: the star of a baby nutrition campaign
Tomorrow: the face of a world changin’ global citizen?
As the first Asian-American to be recognized by Gerber in this way, Isla has opened doors to opportunity by pushing some social norms!
Now maybe this Spokesbaby can get the world to focus on the larger conversation about how important children and their mothers are in our global community. Looking at the new face of baby nutrition, it’s clear that it’s time to eat our peas and carrots and understand how important child nutrition relates to global health.
Crowned as the face of the baby world, these should be Isla’s main focus points during her reign:
1) Embrace Global Goal 3: ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages!
Maternal and newborn health closely mirrors the gap of inequality between the rich and the poor and despite determined global progress by the UN and its partners, an increasing proportion of child deaths have been reported in certain regions of the world. Four out of every five deaths of children under age five occur in these regions in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.
2) Decrease the maternal mortality rate!
WHO has reported that in 2015, maternal mortality fell by 44% since 1990, with 532, 000 deaths in 1990, decreased to an estimated 303,000 deaths in 2015. We are making progress as a global community, but there is a long and important journey ahead!
3) Help mothers get the care that they need!
More pregnant women are receiving regular check-ups. The rate has increased from 65% in 1990 to 83% in 2012! But this number needs to go up.
4) Make strides in education opportunities!
Children with educated mothers are more likely to not only survive but thrive! Currently there are #62MillionGirls that do not have access to education. Huh? Having the opportunity to learn allows individuals to question life and what it means to be a global citizen, the more education the merrier!
5) Continue to break social inequality barriers!
One dimple smile at a time, Isla can break barriers of inequality that plague our society in areas of ethnicity, nationality, and culture. Isla is the first Asian-American to win, but there have been multi-cultural baby winners in the past, so let’s keep it going with more in the future?!
5) Keep smiling!
Children and their mamas are known to be the leaders of sustainable change so hope is abundant! We can beat health disparities by making bold choices to include ourselves in the conversation and push social norms--one smiling courageous baby at a time!
Let’s celebrate our victories in maternal and newborn health, but keep going forward so we can smile like baby Isla when everyone is living a healthy life!
Hail the reign of Isla! May she take on these issues armed with a smile, hope and the support of all global citizens.