Billboarded baby swaddled in Benson’s Bottom Paint brand

MUSKEGON, Mich. — The self-proclaimed “Billboard Family” welcomed its newest member, daughter Alex, in what may be the first sponsored birth, brought to you by Benson’s Bottom Paint, a diaper rash lotion, according to a recent report posted on Stltoday.com.

The Billboard Family, or the Martins, attracted national media attention last year for shilling their Facebook moments to local advertisers. The family would don sponsored T-shirts, wear those T-shirts all around the St. Louis, Mo., area and then post that day’s excursions on such social media sites as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.

Local pharmacist and Sav-Mor executive Randy Dahlquist sponsored Alex’s birth, supplying a pink blanket branded with a logo of Benson’s Bottom Paint, the formulation he developed.