Jindal Stainless along with integrated creative and digital agency Social Panga has launched a digital campaign this International Mother’s Day (May 14). The film highlights how our lives tend to make more sense when our moms are around.
Head of Corporate Communications, Jindal Stainless, Sonal Singh, said: “This campaign is dedicated to the backbone of our homes, the true heroes whose selfless love and sacrifices for their children knows no bounds – our mothers. Though the campaign storyline connects a mother’s unconditional love to home-cooked food, the connection between a mother and child is far more universal and deeper. We hope the campaign rekindles our gratitude towards our mothers.”
Gaurav Arora, Co-Founder of Social Panga, added: “The idea that ‘when a child moves away from their home for the first time, they often face the initial struggle of making it on their own’ is everyone’s story. Our aim was to encapsulate that feeling with the selfless love of our mothers, so the audience can find their own story within this movie. As a corporate brand, Jindal Stainless itself has thousands of employees living outside their homes, and thus, the movie brings the point home in the sense of the employees finding the advertising efforts of their employer, relatable.”
Technology day, Valentine’s Day, Armed Forces Day, Day of the Underprivileged, Language Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Women’s Day and many more. There are too many special days. The brands keep trying to discover or create a higher-order purpose to engage the audience. Many of them are just lip service.
As a brand and marketing consultant, I advise clients to comment on special days if they have done something substantial in that area. Otherwise, if they insist, just wishes would do.
For some categories, these days are a perfect fit. The brands have to say or do something different. Find an unexploited nuance that they can associate and better are seen aligned to. This communication may be for a short duration, but the communication is serious. The efforts put into the communication are at par with any other communication. All aiming for digital preview and viral shareability on social media. Nothing wrong with it. Brands and their strategic creative associates are expected to do this.
Mahindra: Acts mean a lot more than ads
We have seen many Mothers’ Day communication without brand association or heavy brand plugins this year. Some work, some don’t. But the one that worked for me is significantly simpler. It is an act, not an ad. It is not merely words but deeds. And because of the way it has been done with subtle simplicity, it is far more authentic and emotional. That is Anand Mahindra’s tweet sharing the company fulfilling the promise of providing a new home to Idle Amma.
Immense gratitude to our team for completing the construction of the house in time to gift it to Idli Amma on #MothersDay She’s the embodiment of a Mother’s virtues: nurturing, caring & selfless. A privilege to be able to support her & her work. Happy Mother’s Day to you all! pic.twitter.com/LgfR2UIfnm
Compare it to the heavily (not heavenly) emotional ad from ID full of product placement. At times intrusive product placement. The communication could have been equally or far more effective if the packs were not so forcefully integrated. They are still stuck with #KHANNAKAYA and in-the-face brand placement. But this time, the emotional content is high.
Remember, when the message is completed in mind, it leaves a far more substantial impact- than when the brands try to spoon-feed their association. The thought is excellent, but the execution could have been far better.
BANDHAN BANK: Mother – the biggest banking inspiration
If you must integrate the product or the brand, it can be done subtly. Bandhan Bank has done this nicely and in a way that most households would relate to. It is lovely the way banking products are positioned and explained. A similar thought is voiced by Aavas Funanciers but due to different visualisation and all centred within the classroom lacks lot more impact.
PANASONIC: Good cause, weak brand link
Meanwhile, Panasonic takes on a good cause- making Mother-care part of Childcare. And it should be – because healthier moms make healthier families. But the brand product and the thought seem too distant and unrelated. What’s happening here?
DSM GROUP: Good connect, focussed approach
DSM group operates in the area of animal and human Nutrition and Health. It original name is Dutch State Mines, but now it would want DSM to read as Do Something Meaningful. They have been focused on Immunity development. Hence their communication in past has talked of #InvestInIron#InvestInYourImmunity and now again pushing #InvestInIron. The communication though created around #WorldAnaemiaDay (Nov 26) is relevant on Mother’s Day too. A case of clearly identified relevant purpose and objective under #ProjectStreeDhan
PREGA NEWS: Connecting with imperfect mother
Then there is Mankind Pharma which keeps surprising you with their communication. The brand in the past has demonstrated strong insight-oriented work with Women’s Day– so there is consistency in approach and tonality. This time, they do it brilliantly for Prega News with #SheIsImperfectlyPerfect and something that will touch each mother. Why should perfection be demanded from every mother? Why the mother should always be under pressure to be perfect? Perfection is, in fact, a myth and imperfection a part of life.
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And yes, if the brand really focuses on the special days, they can make an impact, thus creating or at least initiating a solid relationship with the audience. Yet, one has seen more ads than acts. The audience wants proof of preaching and questions the degree of involvement with the cause. Something that the brands must reconsider in the changing media and market scenario.
In that space, the Cadbury dairy milk digital campaigns like the , promoting local businesses, and the recent IPL behind the scenes are far more effective and relevant. There is something for the other brands to learn.
MOM of a different nature
Meanwhile MOM ( Methods of Madness by Scarecrow M&C Saatchi) sends a heartfelt video message for sons and daughters of India’s creative families. If you have anything to do with creative communication, you must watch these sessions that MOM has carefully recorded for you. You will get to hear Prashant Godbole, Agnello Dias, Bobby Pawar, Kalpesh Patankar, Ashish Khazanchi, Sajan Raj Kurup, Arun Iyer, Emmanuel Upputuru, Josy Paul, Viral Pandya, Vikram Gaikwad And Dave Dye, Definitely a motherly moment.
Mankind Pharma’s pregnancy test kit Prega News has launched the #CoolHaiMeriMaa campaign. The video campaign will run on the YouTube channel and all social media profiles of Prega News.
Said Joy Chatterjee, General Manager, Sales & Marketing of Mankind Pharma: “The #CoolHaiMeriMaa campaign is an attempt to showcase the journey of mothers who are caregivers and work relentlessly to ensure in paving the road to a better tomorrow for their kids. Through this campaign we recognize and pay a tribute to all the moms in the world for the role they play in their kids’ lives and express gratitude for teaching children the virtues of patience, resilience, and courage and highlight how these values are helping them in their personal and professional lives.”
Havmor came up with a digital brand campaign celebrating the bond between a mother and daughter on the eve of Mother’s Day.
Said Anindya Dutta, MD, Havmor Ice-cream: “We are utilizing our social media assets for the first time to celebrate a special day like Mother’s Day with our consumers. This is a very powerful idea to reach out and build an emotional connect and affinity with them. We are confident such initiatives will help in driving preference for the brand in the days to come.”
Added Shekhar Agarwal, Head of Marketing, Havmor Ice-cream, said, “We wanted the film to bring a new side of our Mothers to the fore and allow them to celebrate their human-ness where they have every right to enjoy the kid in them. This campaign certainly stands out a new perspective and yet delivers a powerful message. We believe this new campaign will break the clutter and elevate Havmor`s proposition of being a caring and innovative brand.”
Nykaa unveiled its latest ad film titled “Khoj” that was released to coincide with Mother’s Day on Nykaa’s YouTube channel.
Said Madhavi Irani, Chief Officer – Content, Nykaa: “Khoj is Nykaa’s tribute to the extraordinary strength of women who could also be mothers, and more importantly, a heartfelt tribute and resounding thanks to the heroes fighting for our safety in the time of Covid-19. Our aim with these campaigns is to grow stronger as a voice that celebrates women from all walks of life”,
The film was put together by remote production in different locations across the country with the director in Chennai, the producer in Kolkata, and the post-production team split between Delhi and Mumbai.
Skincare major Nivea launched a digital campaign to show gratitude and thank all those moms who are frontline caregivers working 24×7 for society leaving behind their own families and kids to face new challenges every single day.
Speaking on the campaign, Sachin Killawala, Director Marketing, Nivea India said: “Nivea symbolises protection and care just like a mother’s instinct and that’s why this time we wanted to go beyond the traditional way of showering love to your own mom. This digital campaign is a celebration of all the caregiver moms who are serving us relentlessly at the cost of caring for their own children. Nivea pays tribute to all the caregiver moms are the front runners and greatest Influencers of our lives in this pandemic. We are extremely grateful as she stands by us as a pillar of support and wakes up every day to face new challenges leaving her family behind.”
Added Mark Mcdonald, Executive Vice President and Head of Creative, Digitas India: “From taking care of her family, to playing multiple roles, mothers are doing it all during the pandemic. What’s more inspiring are the mothers who extend their care beyond their home. These are mothers working in the field – countless doctors, nurses, policewomen, and other frontline caretakers and essential service providers. They’re going beyond the call of duty to heal, protect, and provide for people in these trying times. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude and this our way of paying tribute to them, and saying thank you”.
Asus India celebrated “Mother’s Day” with its #LikeMotherLikeAsus campaign to promote meaningful gestures by motjers. The digital campaign was designed by Dentsu WebChutney in collaboration with Asus India.
Commenting on the campaign, Paramjeet Singh Mehta, Head of Marketing, SYS Business Group, Asus India said: “Being a mother has its moments. Some are heartwarming, others messy, some thrilling, and other’s just overwhelming. Being a mother is full of these ups and downs, a seamless blend of the perfect and not so perfect moments. The #LikeMotherLikeAsus campaign is a perfect embodiment of this thought wherein we encourage our consumers to pause and take a moment to appreciate and be grateful towards this truly divine manifestation on earth.”
Added Harsh Shah, Senior Vice President, Dentsu Webchutney: “We at Dentsu Webchutney, personally have been big fans of Asus laptops. Be it Zenbook Pro Duo or VivoBook, they are our favorites, purely for their multitasking capability. Beauty, display muscle, state of the art technology only adds to it. This makes Asus Laptops so relevant to us as Indians. Multitasking is in our genes, be it roles that we play in our daily life or things we do at work and our homes. Genes that we strongly believe are maternal. There is no bigger multitasker than our Moms in humankind and this reality seamlessly brought us to the biggest multitasker known to the Laptop kind. This Mother’s Day, instead of going conventional with a wish we decided to let people know the biggest inspiration that there is for Asus Laptops – Mothers. And what better way to say it than going with something every Indian relates to ‘Maa pe gaya hai’. Hence, the thought of #LikeMotherLikeAsus.”
SBI Life’s Mother’s Day film focused on mothers serving communities in face of the pandemic. Conceptualised by SBI Life and executed by WatConsult, the film featured four frontline mother protagonists namely Minal Dakhave Bhosale (Virologist), Neelam Ingale (Pilot), Shanmuga Priya T (Banker) and Shalini (Doctor). Encapsulating the rigorous routine that these ‘frontline warriors’ go through every day, by presenting a slice of life of these four strong mothers who continue to make India proud with their fortitude, persistently working behind the scenes to help the ones in distress amid the pandemic.
Said Ravindra Sharma, Chief of Brand & Corporate Communications, SBI Life Insurance: “There is nothing as powerful as mothers love, the exemplary courage displayed by mothers working in essential services on the frontlines of this battle against Covid-19 is praiseworthy. We recognise the need to acknowledge the honorable roles played by mothers and the impact they have in our lives and on the world. #MummyKahanHain is our humble heartfelt tribute to all the mothers who are untiringly working towards protecting the distressed, while risking their own lives and staying away from loved ones. We hope that the real life real stories of our frontline warriors will inspire the larger communities to recognize the silent sacrifices done by mothers and generate for them the much deserved appreciation from all sections of the society.”
Added Heeru Dingra, CEO, WatConsult: “On the occasion of Mother’s Day, we wanted to salute and thank the mothers who are at the forefront, compassionately standing for the entire nation, in this battle to fight against Covid-19. Serving in the best of their capacities as doctors, police, pilots or more, they are selflessly and relentlessly working day and night to fight the ravages of this pandemic. Though the digital video showcases stories of just a few of these heroes, but this step is in reverence to each one of them out there struggling to combat the global crisis, setting another brave example.”
To celebrate motherhood, Mother’s Recipe launched a social media campaign #TasteofMothersLove. The campaign is a tribute to all mothers who have been through rough patches, joys and most importantly have been a pillar of support to those who are in desperate need for unconditional love.
The campaign has been conceptualised and executed by Mother’s Recipe and Social Panga to celebrate unconventional moms and their role in the lives of children and those stuck away from home during the quarantine.
Talking about the initiative, Sanjana Desai, Executive Director, Mother’s Recipe – Desai Foods Pvt Ltd. said, “Our Mother’s Day initiative finds resonance and synergies with the brand ethos which aims to spread the taste of mother’s love. With this online campaign, we want to highlight the dedication and selfless love of these unsung warriors like Mrs Sundari, Sabina Soloman and many other mothers like them. We are anticipating a greater response and participation from people across all generations. We urge more and more people to come forward to extend their wholehearted support towards this noble initiative.”
Adding about the campaign, Himanshu Arora, co-founder of Social Panga, added: “Mother’s Day has always been special for Mothers Recipe as a brand and has played a vital role in talking about the importance of sharing mother’s love with those who lack it. And we intended to maintain the same brand essence this year as well with our take on the campaign. Most often we forget to talk about unconventional mother figures in our lives who make a lot of difference. With this campaign, we really want people to take a moment and celebrate these women who have spent almost their whole lives sharing unconditional love to those in need. The idea is to share the #TasteOfMothersLove through stories that touch your heart. What’s also incredible is that no one stepped out to make this film.”
On eve of Mother’s Day, Disney Junior celebrated the special relationship between mothers and their little ones across its digital platforms. Appreciating and acknowledging the joys and challenges, which come with being a mother, Disney Junior invited mothers to share some real life stories that have contributed in making their motherhood journey extremely special.
Said an unnamed Disney spokesperson:“ Motherhood is an extremely special feeling – filled with warmth, joy and lots of cherished moments and we wanted to celebrate this journey with them,”
Jeeru, a jeera-based drink from Xotik Frujus, has been engaging with consumers and fans on different digital platforms during the lockdown period. Starting Mother’s Day, Jeeru has launched a new campaign, #LockdownWaaliMaa celebrating unexpected mothers – people who are displaying their inherent maternal instincts and caring for others, during the lockdown.
Speaking about the idea, Rajeev Sehgal, Chairman, Xotik Frujus said: “In these unprecedented times the positive thing we are seeing is people stepping up to help each other by being more caring in so many ways. There is no better caregiver than one’s mother and in these times of lockdown, all of us are embracing the qualities and strength of a mother. Taking inspiration from our daily lives, we decided to dedicate and give a refreshing salaam to our #LockdownWaliMaa. Happy Mother’s Day.”
Added Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CCO, 82.5 Communications: “What makes this film different is that it focuses not on ‘real’ mothers but their ‘stand-ins’. If all of us could provide a bit of ‘maternal affection’ to those around us in need of it, the world would be a sweeter place.”
P&G tried to unite India to thank mothers through its campaign #ThankYouMa on Mother’s Day. Launched on Mother’s Day, the film is conceptualised by Leo Burnett India.
Said Sharat Verma, Chief Marketing Officer, P&G India: “This Mother’s Day, we want to salute the unconditional love and care of mothers everywhere. Our mothers have always taken care of our smallest of things, no matter what age we are. Our latest campaign ‘#ThankYouMa’ features real-life stories of mothers who are taking care of the smallest of things for their children while taking care of the big ones. P&G has been a proud sponsor of mothers and this Mother’s Day we want to urge everyone to take a moment to thank their mothers for their undying love and care.”
Added Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer – Leo Burnett South Asia and Managing Director, Leo Burnett India: “All moms are the real-life superheroes showing us how to maintain a balance between work, home, kids, and everything else. Even in difficult times like these, mothers are marching forward fighting on the frontlines doing big things to save the world while at the same time not forgetting to do the little things for their loved ones. And to those moms who are tirelessly marching on… how can we not say #ThankYouMa.”
Technology day, Valentine’s Day, Armed Forces Day, Day of the Underprivileged, Language Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Women’s Day and many more. There are too many special days. The brands keep trying to discover or create a higher-order purpose to engage the audience. Many of them are just lip service.