Madison Mendoza, left, and her mother, Crystal, are shown in a side-by-side throwback image submitted to Gerber's 13th annual photo search competition. Madison was selected as the Gerber baby for 2023, the company announced Wednesday. (Gerber)
The face of Gerber baby food for 2023 is the infant daughter of an Air Force family from Colorado, linking the U.S. military with a beloved American advertising icon.
Colorado Springs 10-month-old Madison “Maddie” Mendoza was named the winner of Gerber’s 13th annual photo search, the company announced Wednesday.
The contest was inspired by countless photos sent by parents who see their little one in Gerber’s famous baby logo.
As the company’s “spokesbaby,” Maddie will be featured on Gerber’s social media channels and marketing campaigns throughout the year. Gerber did not say how soon Maddie’s image will appear on their products.
The little girl, “along with her remarkable parents, captured the attention of the judges with a standout throwback submission and story full of love and resilience,” Gerber said in a statement.
Madison Mendoza, shown in an undated family photo, was selected as the new Gerber spokesbaby after winning the company’s 2023 photo competition. Maddie’s father is an Air Force Academy graduate and military physician. (Gerber)
Her father, Lt. Col. Jun Mendoza, is an allergist and immunologist at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, according to his Uniformed Services University biography. He’s an academy graduate and has served in the Air Force for 16 years.
Mom Crystal Mendoza is a dentist. In her baby photo submitted to the contest, she looks like Maddie’s twin, with the same jet-black hair, big eyes and tiny ponytail.
Both parents are from first-generation immigrant families from the Philippines. Maddie’s grandfathers served in the Navy and came to the United States with very little, Gerber said in the statement.
The Mendozas have moved five times with the military and traveled to more than 30 countries and 20 states, according to the statement.
Her parents say their daughter, a “rainbow baby,” is playful, outgoing and adventurous. The term “rainbow baby” refers to a child born after a miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of an infant from natural causes.
“Maddie has brought us immeasurable joy with every milestone, snuggle and moment spent with her enriching our lives and making every day more meaningful and beautiful,” Crystal Mendoza is quoted in the statement as saying.
“We look forward to witnessing her grow into a kind, compassionate, strong, independent and worldly individual as we hope to be stationed overseas again to teach Maddie about all the different parts of the world.”
Maddie and her family also received a $25,000 cash prize and free Gerber products for up to one year, among other winnings.
Gerber will also match Maddie’s cash prize with a donation to support the March of Dimes’ maternal and infant health programs.
