Baby Zane, New Gerber Spokesbaby, Is Also Company's First 'CGO'

WINTER PARK, FL — At 4 months old, baby Zane Kahin captivated the judges of the 2021 Gerber spokesbaby contest “with his cheerful attitude, infectious giggles and playful smile that can light up any room,” Gerber wrote in announcing Zane as the winner of its photo search.

The Winter Park, Florida, baby’s “bubbly personality captured our heart,” the judges said. They not only named Zane as the winner of the 11th annual Gerber baby photo search but as the baby product company’s first honorary "chief growing officer."

“Zane is our little comedian — he loves to crack himself up and even wakes up laughing,” Erin Kahin, the new Gerber baby’s mother, said in a news release.

“Zane loves to bond with his fur siblings, dogs Rexy and Liv, and laugh the day away in his bouncer,” she added on Zane’s 2021 Gerber spokesbaby profile page.

Baby Zane was born on Feb. 3, “beating all odds,” said his mom, who was a newly single woman when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27.

“My doctors were unsure how the impact of chemotherapy, radiation and a double mastectomy would impact my ability to have children,” Kahin said. “After getting married to my husband over a year ago, we surprisingly conceived naturally and had a near perfect pregnancy. Our family continues to enjoy every moment and look at life with appreciation and a sense of humor.”

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Mohini Joshi, Gerber’s vice president of marketing, said the company is “delighted to welcome Zane.”

“By recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby, we celebrate the diversity of families — whether that's where we’re from, who our parents are or the circumstances in which baby came into the world.”

The Gerber spokesbaby contest dates back to 2010, when the company created it in response to the thousands of photos it had received over the years from parents who saw a bit of the original Gerber baby, Ann Turner Cook, in their own.

Cook, now 95-years-old, is a longtime Sun City Center resident.

As the 2021 Gerber spokesbaby winner, Zane and his family get $25,000 in cash, free Gerber products for up to a year, and a wardrobe valued at $1,000, the news release states. A bodysuit and T-shirt designed in Zane’s honor will also be available to buy, with Gerber Childrenswear making a donation to the Delivering Good charitable organization for every one of the Zane-inspired products sold.

The new chief growing officer title will give Zane the chance to work with Gerber “to help the next generation of babies grow and thrive,” the company said.