According to a CNN.com news report, a sperm bank in California has a unique marketing spin. You can search their sperm donor database for which celebrity the sperm donor looks like. In other words, you can look for a sperm donor who they label as looking similar to Ben Affleck (apparently the most commonly searched for celebrity).
I think this is a bit... well, odd.
On the one hand, I see some potential good sides. You can already search for sperm donor by eye color, body build, hair color, and even intelligence. This helps couples try to pick someone who will look like their other children or their boy friend or husband.
However, you can’t usually see photos of the actual sperm donor. Being able to say that a sperm donor looks like someone recognizable (maybe Jon Stewart), enables the couple to better visualize who their potential donor looks like, and maybe have a better hint at what a child would look like.
But there is no guarantee that a Jon Stewart look-alike sperm donor will have a child that looks anything like Jon Stewart. (And one would hope not, if for example, that child turned out to be a girl!)
Where I have issues with the idea is if this is used as some sort of “baby designing” concept. What if a couple actually picks out a donor, just because they want a child with celebrity looks? And what if the baby born ends up looking nothing like that celebrity? Will the parents be disappointed? Could that possibility affect how they feel about the child?
It just seems to me like a unique marketing idea, which has the potential to go very wrong for some. But those are my thoughts. (My husband says I’m way too conservative – he sees no problem with wanting a celebrity look-alike child.)
What do you think? Do you see anything wrong with choosing a sperm donor, solely based on celebrity look-alikeness? Would you do it? Take our poll, and leave your thoughts in the comments!
I can’t say it’s quite an interesting (if not catchy) marketing campaign for a sperm bank. Although going the way with celebrities is not something new in marketing – everyone knows how some people view celebrities as ultimate beings and that wearing their sunglasses or dresses might give the same effect on any normal person. Although, I am quite concern with their assurance policy on this – if they have any. If I am not mistaken, the only way to keep the institution safe from a horde of fertility challenged customers would be to have them sign a waiver that their database can not guaranty the actual outcome of the offspring. I mean, if they don’t have such a waiver, can you just imagine what the parents would actually do to them if their offspring turns out to be nowhere near what their donor’s profile should be?