Mother’s Day is over, but creativity isn’t. The Big Smoke explores Mother’s Day campaign ideas you can use all year round.
With Mother’s Day all wrapped up for the year, a lot of brands find themselves in one of two categories. The first consists of those who feel they didn’t fully capitalize on the occasion, experiencing a sense of FOMO as they observe their competitors’ capaigns. The second is those who promoted Mother’s Day, but find themselves envious of the more innovative campaigns out there, kicking themselves that they didn’t come up with those ideas first, or have the budget to execute them.
If you fall into either of those two categories, you’re in luck.
At the Big Smoke, our creativity doesn’t revolve around the holidays so we are moving past the post-holiday slump and bringing you our favorite Mother’s Day campaigns along with how they can be used for inspiration all year round.
These might be heavyweight ideas from big-budget campaigns, but don’t worry – we’re here to break it down so you can bring some of that magic into your own strategy, no matter the size of your budget.
- Chanel No.5’s Mother’s Day Poster
Instead of the typical picture-perfect images we are used to seeing on Mother’s Day, Chanel took a unique approach. They created a poster featuring a child’s drawing of their iconic No. 5 bottle with the addition of a simple message: ‘Happy Mother’s Day’. This poster exuded an authentic charm, delivering a heartfelt and warm message in a beautiful, yet simplistic way.
How you can draw inspiration: Utilizing children’s drawings or embracing a “simple” approach to ad creative can be very effective when used sparingly. Just think of the success of the infamous graphic designer needed billboard. This strategy can be particularly powerful if your product or service targets children or parents.
While Chanel opted for a billboard, you can use this style of creative on a poster, a social post or even an email! They’re all cost-effective ways of connecting with your audience. Remember when it comes to kid’s drawings, authentic is best, so you may need to ask around your office to see if people will volunteer their kids’ artistic prowess.
- KFC x Proflowers “Buckquet”
This Mother’s Day, KFC partnered with proflowers to offer a tantalizing mix of fried chicken and flowers. This campaign definitely struck a chord with us here at The Big Smoke – after all, who can resist fried chicken?
How you can draw inspiration: Time has taught us that anything that looks like flowers, but is not flowers is a hit! Think of Lego’s popular Lego flower bouquet. If you are a product-based business, you can make a flower bouquet out of anything! Lollies, fruits, buttons, chocolate – the possibilities are endless!
If you are service-based, you can draw inspiration by partnering with your local flower boutique and offering flowers and chocolate with your services for a promotional period. This approach is especially effective if your product or service is typically seen as a ‘treat’ or makes a great gift.
- Coach’s Mother’s Day Campaign
On Mother’s Day, Coach ditched the fancy backdrops and lux-focus to show real mothers and their children embracing and having fun. No overproduced images or uncomfortable poses, just a spotlight on real families.
How you can draw inspiration: If you don’t have the budget to get celebrities on board, that’s okay! Product-based brands can still tap into the essence of this idea very easily. Skip the casting call and run a campaign which showcases your product being used in a raw, organic way. Strip back the commercialisation and picture-perfect looks and spotlight real families, real people and a real environment. Campaigns like this (when done authentically) always do well.
- Allswell – Ban the Brunch
To alleviate the pressure on mothers to get dressed up and prepare the family for a Mother’s Day brunch, Allswell launched the #BanTheBrunch campaign. This campaign encouraged families to embrace a more relaxed celebration and let mothers know it’s perfectly okay to sleep in and enjoy breakfast in bed on their special day.
How you can draw inspiration: With 90% of consumers valuing authenticity when choosing the brands they support,consider launching a campaign that celebrates real-life moments and guilty pleasures. This could include light-hearted admissions like going to the bathroom to hide that you are eating snacks so you don’t have to share with your kids (something all parents can relate to) or indulging in things you wish you could do more often, like having breakfast in bed. Emphasizing these genuine, relatable experiences can resonate deeply with your audience.
- Lucit – Put Your Mum on a Billboard
Lucit came up with a brilliant way to celebrate Mother’s Day, allowing people to submit photos of their mothers, which were then displayed on a billboard! This initiative not only drove traffic to their website and increased brand awareness, but it also provided a meaningful way to help families connect and celebrate over Mother’s Day.
How you can draw inspiration: You can run something like this on a smaller scale all year round! UGC (User Generated Content) is a highly effective and popular method of content creation, allowing your audience to play an active part in your strategy. You can create an incentive for people to post images or videos using your product and commit to featuring this content at least once a week. To boost participation, offer incentives like a short-term giveaway or long-term rewards such as store points or discounts.
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And there you have it! Whether it’s turning a child’s drawing into a heartwarming ad or transforming everyday products into surprise bouquets, creativity doesn’t have to be confined to big budgets or calendar events. These inspired ideas prove that with a bit of imagination, you can spin the everyday into something extraordinary, any time of the year.
Feeling Inspired But Not Sure Where to Start?
Feeling inspired but not sure where to start? The Big Smoke is here to help. Whether you need a brainstorming session or want to avoid FOMO next holiday, we’re all about big ideas that work with any budget. Let’s bring a celebratory spirit to every campaign, without breaking the bank.