It’s always hard to be a parent.
As a parent of a young child during the pandemic, and as one of the creative leads on this project, this idea is very close to my heart. Pampers asked us to create something that would resonate with parents. We arrived at the idea of telling a classic childhood story, “The Velveteen Rabbit” through the lens of what it means to be a parent. Its most famous passage, about a child loving a shabby toy, is more broadly about the power of a child’s love.
We wanted parents to know that, even if all they wore were sweatpants for two years, only occasionally remembering to brush their hair, none of that matters at all to children, because, “When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” We expanded this vital and timely message to include others showing their love and appreciation for all that parents do, becoming the #MillionActsofLove movement that was supported on social by influencers and paid media.
As a parent, this was truly a gratifying creative experience.
Our creative idea brought support and encouragement to the forefront of the cultural conversation around parental burnout. By reframing “I’ve got nothing left to give” to “I’ve given exactly what my child needs” Pampers delivered a powerful message — acknowledging that parenting can be hard, but that facing those challenges with grace and love is exactly what makes a parent.
The story’s message is that while loving others does come with sacrifice, love changes us for the better. We teamed up with mom and entrepreneur, Shay Mitchell, to kick off the #MillionActsofLove movement — activated across social and digital channels, encouraging everyone to share small acts of kindness to support the parents in their lives. Loved ones and friends were able to share digital love notes, offers of help, and more. Within the first week, the #MillionActsofLove campaign exceeded all goals. The online film garnered 95 million views, and 800,000 creators participated in the #MillionActsofLove challenge. The TikTok execution got 10.3 billion total views, making it P&G’s most successful TikTok campaign ever.
