Huggies Creates Belt for Dad to 'Feel' the Baby's Kick
For a new Father's Day commercial the company that makes Huggies diapers will let a few expectant fathers experience (a little) of what it's like to be pregnant. The Kimberly-Clark Corporation created a pair of pregnancy bands for expectant couples that replicate any baby movement felt by the mother on a matching band for the father so that dad can "feel" the baby kicking.
The pair of pregnancy bands, not currently available for sale, was created solely for a Huggies ad in Latin America, which shows real couples trying out the bands in a Buenos Aires hospital. The large white bands cover both parents' abdomens and are filled with electronic sensors and LED lights. When the baby kicks in the mother's womb, the movement is replicated in the father's band, showing up with a quick burst of light and small vibrating impulses wherever the kick landed.
In the video the fathers' reactions range from shock to laughter to lots of tears.
"It is a video greeting card for dads on Father's Day," said Eric Bruner, a spokesman for Kimberly-Clark. "I would just say [it's] in honor of the dads in our lives."
Unfortunately for couples looking to try out the devices, the pregnancy bands were created exclusively for the commercial and are not available to try out.
"We've seen questions [from people asking], 'Can I try this?'" said Bruner. "For now it's a one-of-a-kind device."
However, Bruner said that the company was "evaluating their options," so for future Father's Day gifts expectant customers might be able to bypass buying the ubiquitous Father's Day tie in favor of matching pregnancy bands.