Teleflora’s new “One Tough Mother” ad has been viewed more than 690,000 times on YouTube. The ad juxtaposes images of the gritty aspects of motherhood with the voiceover of a famous Vince Lombardi speech. That pairing appeals to women and “connects us to traditional male purchasers who may appreciate our approach, which juxtaposes moms as tough and an inspiration in everything they do, much like a professional sports athlete,” said David Dancer, Teleflora’s executive vice president and head of marketing.
Beyonce’s “Lemonade” isn’t the only video making waves and getting standing ovations from critics this week.
A new Mother’s Day online ad from Teleflora is also generating rave reviews for its realistic depiction of motherhood and its inclusive casting.
The “One Tough Mother” consumer video is running exclusively on YouTube and Facebook, with some “short teasers” on Instagram throughout the holiday, according to David Dancer, Teleflora’s executive vice president and head of marketing.
The ad pairs a masculine, no-nonsense reading of Vince Lombardi’s famous 1970 speech “What It Takes to Be Number One” — sample line: “Winning is not a sometime thing—it’s an all the time thing” — with depictions of moms working various jobs, walking kids to school, serving in the military — even giving birth. It also includes shots of gorgeous flowers (of course) and one real-life florist, Clara Gonzales of Tiger Lily Florist in Charleston, South Carolina.
A florist version of the video, which includes extended footage of Gonzales, debuts today.
The consumer ad, which builds on the success of Teleflora’s successful “What is Love?” campaigns for Mother’s Day 2015 and Valentine’s Day 2016, already has appeared as an “Ad of the Day” at AdWeek.com and garnered rave reviews in the Huffington Post and PopSugar. (One video from the 2015 Mother’s Day campaign, “Ryan’s Unforgettable Mother’s Day delivery to Mom” has been viewed almost 11.8 million times on YouTube.)
PopSugar applauded the ad for putting the “more nitty-gritty side of motherhood in the spotlight and real-life mothers who are strong, resilient, and brave.”
That’s precisely the tone Teleflora wanted to strike, Dancer said.
“Oftentimes what you see in marketing is the perfect and picturesque moments of motherhood,” Dancer said, “the perfect family photo, the tender moment of a hug from a child. While all of those things are real, we thought that the idea of sharing the sometimes ‘messy and tough’ role as a mother, which takes strength, courage and perseverance would be a refreshing take on motherhood that would resonate with our audience.”
The shoot took place over five days and was shot on location and in-studio in Los Angeles.
In addition to Gonzales, the ad features actresses specifically cast because they were mothers willing to share their own experiences with the director as the ad was developed. (Read more about how Gonzales landed the role and her star turn in the ad.)
As it did with its “What is Love” campaign, Teleflora also sought to include depictions of people from different races and socioeconomic backgrounds
“It was important for us to be inclusive and representative of every , as they transcend beyond just one age, race or background,” Dancer said. “We wanted to make sure we captured the breadth and diversity of moms visually for our audience.”
Adding to the campaign’s social media appeal, viewers are encouraged to share personal Mother’s Day stories using the #OneToughMother hashtag. The campaign is also being supported by “a robust marketing and PR program promoting its new Mother’s Day collection of floral arrangements,” according to Dancer, national TV appearances on ABC’s “The View,” and CBS’a “The Talk” as well as consumer email promotions, distribution of a “Mother’s Day Success Guide” in the MyTeleflora toolbox, and “banners, posters and merchandising ideas for use in-store and for its e-florists to utilize on their web sites.”
