An electronics retailer in Sweden is facing backlash from feminists after introducing an unusual offer to its female customers: a full refund if they become pregnant within a month of buying an item at the store.
The controversial advertisement, which has a positive pregnancy test alongside the cheeky slogan ‘A deal that might make you throw up’, has been met with widespread criticism.
Power, the Norwegian electronics supplier behind the ad, is under fire for allegedly exploiting women, with some critics likening the commercial to Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, where women are forced into childbirth.
This ‘baby bonus’ initiative is intended to address Sweden’s falling birth rate, currently at 1.4 births per woman. While this is higher than in Finland, it has nonetheless fallen by 1.7 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year.
But critics of the campaign have reported it to Sweden’s national advertising ombudsman, complaining of misogyny as a marketing tactic.
The offer provides women who become pregnant within 30 days of purchasing an item at one of Power’s 29 Swedish locations with a full refund as in-store credit.
This is not the first time Power has courted controversy because of its promotions.
Previously, the retailer had to withdraw an ad that proposed a 50 percent discount to customers who got a tattoo of the company’s logo.
Power’s controversial advertisement has been called sexist by feminists
Power implemented the ‘baby bonus’ measure to help fix Sweden’s declining birth rate
The Swedish advertising watchdog ruled that the promotion had ‘lacked social and professional responsibility’.
Power has also been describing its latest offer for its female customers as a ‘deal worth pulling your pants down for’.
It is applicable for women over 20 who are able to prove – by providing a medical certificate – that conception occurred within 30 days of them buying an electrical item. They must be able to show that their expected due date falls between 260 and 303 days after shopping at the branch.
The retailer assures its female customers that any refund will be honoured, ‘whether you buy an electric toothbrush or new white goods for the kitchen’.
In the first six months of the year, 49,700 children were born in Sweden, which is the country’s lowest number of births during a half-year in 23 years, according to a population statistician.
Somalia, Chad, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have the highest birth rates, with an average of 6.1 children per woman.
In 2023, the fertility rate in England and Wales fell to its lowest level on record, at 1.44 children per woman.
Eddie Hernandez, head of marketing at Power, justified the controversial campaign by saying his company was combating ‘advertising fatigue’.
In 2023, the fertility rate in England and Wales fell to its lowest level on record, at 1.44 children per woman
In a post on LinkedIn, he wrote: ‘Against the backdrop of Sweden’s historically low birth rate, Power Sweden is launching a campaign that will help with the population crisis.
‘Why are we doing this? We want to create a campaign that both stands out in our industry and contributes to a social discussion that affects many.
‘We know that our industry has to surprise to win consumers’ attention. With this campaign, we are taking the customer bonus to a whole new level, by linking it to the population crisis. This is probably our most satisfying deal ever.’
Responding to criticism accusing the campaign of being sexist, Hernandez told The Times that the campaign was not intended to objectify women or be discriminatory.
‘Electronics are often blamed for getting in the way of closeness and intimacy – people paying more attention to their phones than to each other,’ he said. ‘We want to encourage more people who are considering having children to take the plunge, by showing that consumer electronics can be an enabler in this matter.’
