The newest Gerber Baby is an infectiously smiling 1-year-old boy from Arizona.
The family-run business said on Tuesday that Akil McLeod, also known by his nickname “Sonny,” had won Gerber’s 14th annual photo competition after winning judges over with his gregarious demeanor.
According to a news statement from Nestlé Infant Nutrition president Chandra Kumar, “Sonny immediately captured our hearts with his joyful smile and his family’s inspiring demonstration of what it means to grow with love.”
According to Gerber authorities, the toddler’s family is committed to giving back to the Phoenix community and frequently participates with neighborhood organizations.
Dominque McLeod, Sonny’s mother, revealed to the co-hosts on the “Today” show that she entered her son in the competition but kept it a secret from everyone, including her husband Akil Sr.
“I reasoned, what are the chances, really?” said she.
Akil Sr. stated that he was thrilled that his son had a genuine chance of winning when Sonny advanced to the finals.
Sonny likes to play with toy vehicles, watch football, and read his ABC book in addition to playing peekaboo with his older sister, Sage. It was also his first birthday lately.
His mother released a statement saying, “Every day it’s an honor to watch Sonny conquer so many tiny achievements, from giggles to trying new foods to standing up and everything in between.” Being named the 2024 Gerber Baby was the best way we could have imagined to commemorate his one birthday.
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Sonny will be featured in the company’s marketing promotions all year long as the 2024 Gerber Baby. In addition, Gerber Childrenswear will give his family new clothes and complimentary Gerber items worth $25,000.
When the firm launched its baby food campaign in 1928, the first Gerber Baby emblem was unveiled. It was subsequently approved as Gerber’s legal trademark in 1931.
The identity of the baby was kept a secret until 1978; according to the Gerber website, many people thought the child would grow up to be a well-known movie star like Humphrey Bogart or Elizabeth Taylor. However, it was later revealed that the baby was mystery author and retired teacher Ann Turner Cook, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 95.
The Gerber media release states that the annual Photo Search for a “spokesbaby” was started in 2011 after receiving “countless” submissions of pictures from parents of their children that looked like Ann Turner Cook’s original logo.