• by Payal Berning , June 15, 2012

With the Olympics around the corner, marketers are creating campaigns that will not only pay homage to the games, but also connect with consumers in a more meaningful way. 

Case in point is Proctor & Gamble’s “Thank you, Mom” campaign. With more than 1 million views of this video on YouTube, over 500,000 Facebook fans and 50,000 shares of its “Thank you, Mom” page, P&G produced truly viral content. When I first saw the tribute to moms, I was moved but there is more to be said about this campaign beyond its emotional relevance to audiences. This video had impact and it created that meaningful connection between brand and people - more specifically with moms. 

“Touches a universal mom chord! Long time since I've wept at a commercial...now, must schedule more training for the kids!”

“There are a few things that are guaranteed to make me cry every time I watch them:
The scene from the movie ‘Steel Magnolias’ when Julia Roberts' character dies. Videos of military parents being reunited with their kids (inevitably during a school assembly). This video (P&G Thank you, Moms)”

Why did this video resonate so deeply with moms? I tapped into our online community of global moms to try to understand the greater impact of this campaign. And from what I uncovered, P&G smartly rooted its strategy and execution in human understanding and applied these three insights to speak directly to moms. 

1. Moms put a lot of pressure on themselves to make the right decisions for their children.

Concern, worry, fear, anxiety—these are all emotions moms feel about their children and how they will turn out. Moms bear the weight of this worry for their children’s future and believe that every decision made today will have an impact on their children tomorrow. 

The “Thank you, Mom” video illustrated the hard work that both moms and kids invest in their future, in this case, into sports to become world-class athletes. It would be impossible for these children to grow into Olympians without their mothers’ encouragement, support and love. And while not all children aspire to be Olympic athletes, the point of this video is clear—moms are willing to invest their blood, sweat and tears into their children’s future. Because the main role of mom is to support and inspire their children in whatever they choose for their future. They are the vehicle to steer their children to their ambitions. 

“It is a hard and rewarding job raising my son and through day-to-day activities you sometimes feel like you are wearing down, but you know why you do it and that it is so worth it. Being a mom means you become put your child’s needs above your own, your rewards are those hugs they give at the end and they are so much better than anything else!”

2. Olympics unite families and allow parents to teach children valuable lessons. 

Moms invest so much of their time nurturing their children and preparing them for the future. Sports offer great life lessons for parents to share with children about the determination necessary to succeed. As an event, the Olympics inspire children and offer incredible stories of perseverance, talent and strength, as well as the support athletes gain from coaches and parents to achieve their dreams. 

“A life school…a child understands that there might be a wins and losses, no matter what you do, because sometimes you can work hard and be great, but there is always someone who works harder and might be better... So they feel healthy competition and understand that the success is a result of both hard work and luck...and learn to enjoy the process rather than orienting only on result itself, the same as in our life.”

The Olympics also bring the whole family together to root for their country and/or athlete. It is quality time at its best, something moms value more than anything else. 

“The Olympics brings our family closer together because we enjoy sitting down together and watching the events and having a conversation about them as we watch. Its a way for us to bring our kids together and talk about things like being a gracious winner, a humble loser, how much time and effort is put into preparing for those events and how if you work hard you can do anything you put your mind to.”

3. The best part about being a mom is seeing your children happy.

It’s as simple as that – moms’ goal is to raise happy and healthy children. Success can play a huge role in seeking that happiness, and the “Thank you, Mom” campaign highlighted both the thrill of achievement and value of commitment.

“Watching your children realize their dreams after all their hard work is the greatest gift in the world!”

While declaring the first gold winner of the Olympics games is still a few months out, we are certain that P&G deserves marketing gold for creating a powerful experience rooted in human understanding that ultimately, resonated with millions.