It’s a stressful day at our office here in Heltr Skeltr. We’ve been racking our brains for a campaign idea for a new client, and so far, we’ve only drawn blanks. The clock ticks as all of us sit in silence, our creativity exhausted after bouncing off and subsequently rejecting every idea under the sun. We look at each other, knowing that we’re all thinking the same thing. Finally, it’s a colleague who says it – “Time to bring in The Mom?”
The Mom, mind you – is the one and only savior for every advertiser in India. Who is The Mom, you ask? She is the devoted parent, the sacrificial hero, the multi-tasker, the caring saint, the loving Mom – no, supermom. This character, though fictional, seems to resonate with consumers like no other. And that’s precisely why advertisers rely on her so heavily.
A study done by MICA on the ‘Portrayal of Mothers in Indian Television Ads’ revealed that out of 1600 ads, a majority portrayed women in childrearing activities. Out of these, 90% of the mothers were shown as housewives or dependents. And yet, ads featuring mothers seem to do outstandingly well on both TV and social media. Every year, the month leading up to Mother’s Day is a free-for-all feast for every advertiser. The emotional pull around mom-forward ads is too strong for unsuspecting customers to resist. Whether you’re watching the news, a cricket match, a YouTube video, or scrolling through social media, it’s very likely that you’ll stumble across one of these ads, and chances are, you’ll actually watch the whole thing. After all, you owe at least that much to your Mom, right?
However, it’s beginning to feel like The Mom is being overused. When nothing else is working, or when they need a sure-shot win, advertisers bank on the mom factor. To make my point clearer, I did a deep dive into the most popular mom ads by different brands over the last few years. Here’s what I found – there are five types of mom ads. And advertisers use, reuse and overuse them, hoping consumers don’t catch on.
Momproval ads
It turns out that it’s not enough for products to be backed by experts in the field. Enter: the Momproval – the stamp of excellence given by the all-knowing, ever-wise mother. Have a look at this advertisement by Colgate. Made via scripted testimonials by young mothers, it proposes that ‘trust’ is synonymous with Colgate. These ‘real’ moms portrayed as tackling various things all at once have one less thing to worry about – their kids’ oral hygiene.
A subtler example of the Momproval is this ad by Bournvita, in which a mother is training her son to be an athlete. While she takes care of his physical training, she relies on the brand for her son’s nutritional needs. Consuming Bournvita milk is put forward as a good habit, and of course, the brand reminds us that only moms understand the value of good habits.
Emotional Mom ads
We spoke about the emotional tug of mom-centric ads before. To understand why exactly these ads do so well, let’s look at this #MakeTimeForMaa campaign by Big Bazaar. This 1:20 second commercial has nothing to do with the brand or any of its products/ services. Instead, it’s entirely a tribute to Indian mothers, reminding us to stay in touch with the greatest’ human technology’, our Mom. Studies have demonstrated that consumers rely on their feelings, not information, to make brand-related decisions. This is precisely what emotional mom ads seek to do.
Another example of an emotional ad with a mom at its core is this Sunfeast Mom’s Magic campaign. The story is about a clueless engineering student who finds a mother figure in a tea seller lady outside his college. The product, i.e. the biscuits by Sunfeast, fits in snugly in the storyline. The 3-minute ad leaves no stone unturned in its shameless effort to make you cry, and unfortunately, it succeeds. “Just couldn’t help the tears flowing,” “Don’t know why, tears rolled out of my eyes,” – these are some of the top comments under this ad on YouTube.
Background Mom ads
Some mom ads have the mother front and center, while others have her lingering in the background as if she were an afterthought. The mom factor is the secret ingredient in an ad recipe, and advertisers must decide how many tablespoons to pour. In ads like this one by Maggi, moms are a small but effective element. #NothingLikeMaggi is mainly about the days gone by and nostalgia, but throwing in the mom factor helps to make it about more.
Lots of brands use this technique to elevate the relatability and, in some cases, the credibility of their product. In this popular ad by Complan (Khata Kya Hai?), we see classmates of a young student contemplating the secret behind his sudden growth spurt. Though she’s not a central figure, it’s the kid’s Mom who reveals the secret weapon in the end – Complan. Without her presence, this ad would’ve just been a memorable ad with a catchy song. But now, it’s got – you guessed it – the Momproval.
To Mom’s rescue ads
A few ads dare to propose that even supermoms need some help. Tide Ultra uses the mother’s trope who is supportive of her child’s adventures and activities, but not so much of the dirt stains on his white shirt. She’s worried about the pains she will have to go to clean it. But wait a second, it seems like a magical force has wiped the stains straight off, revealing pure whiteness underneath. Fear not, Mom, Tide Ultra is here to the rescue.
“What’s better than one Mom? Two Moms.”
And if you throw in a celebrity mom, you’re in for a real win. In this Kissan Ketchup ad, actor Juhi Chawla acts as the savior to a regular Mom whose son refuses to eat tomatoes. With Kissan Ketchup in the picture, the child can’t help but lick his fingers clean.
Leveraging Mom’s traits
My personal favorite technique is when advertisers leverage the many valued traits of Indian mothers to sell their products. Look at this Amul Milk ad, for example. It tactfully equates a mom’s unadulterated love to the purity of the brand’s milk. It’s genius, really. But don’t be fooled. What’s on sale here is not Amul Milk; it’s maa ka Pyaar.
Guided as a social message ad, this one by All Out is a tribute to the tough moms out there, who only want to protect their kids in the long run. The subtext is clear – they’re tough, just like All Out.
These five types of mom ads make up for the majority of advertisements made in this country. We’d like to believe that the effect of the hackneyed mom factor will soon plateau, but who’s to say?
Coming back to the present day in our office, where my colleague has just suggested we pull out our tried-and-tested mom weapon.
“You know what?” I tell him, “I think The Mom is exhausted.”
He looks at me, confused.
“Let’s go with a different family member this time.”