• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 1, 2023

Mother's Day may always be the schmaltziest American holiday. But this year, marketers are tossing in a little more emotional complexity -- and a lot more celebrities.

Orangetheory Fitness is starting Mother's Other Day, working with actress Gina Rodriguez to acknowledge that women often need the day after to recover from all that well-wishing. For Coach, Jennifer Lopez is making the day more universal with an "All you need is love" campaign. Walmart is offering up parenting hacks from Cardi B and Janelle James.

Orangetheory's effort stars actress and new mom Rodriguez and is based on its research finding that 88% of moms share the Mother's Day spotlight with others, with 54% saying it's more stressful than the average Sunday. And 82% say they'd enjoy the day more if they knew they could have the next day to themselves.

"Those insights are so poignant because it shows how moms are so often putting the well-being and happiness of others before their own, even on Mother's Day," says Kelly Lohr, chief marketing officer. "I can't tell you how often I'm sitting in bed starving because I wake up first. But I'm not supposed to get out of bed until my kids bring me breakfast. It's sweet, and it's cute. But many women say they need time to recharge after the whole thing."

So the fitness brand, with a membership that's about 70% female and predominantly between the ages of 30 and 45, is designating the day after as Mother's Other Day. It's giving employees a paid day off and hosting free Orangetheory classes. Other promotions include $100 Lululemon gift cards for people who join that day.

Orangetheory is also partnering with other brands, including Daily Harvest, the meal prep company, and Beaba, the baby products brand, mirroring Orangetheory's company holiday. Stitch Fix Is also on board, encouraging employees to focus on making time for themselves during the celebratory month of May.

Orangetheory plans to share the campaign, created with agencies Tombras and Coyne Public Relations, on its social and digital channels.

Jennifer Lopez, Coach's style ambassador since 2019, is weighing in on motherhood, too. Social media videos highlight the actress' point of view on raising teens, balancing firm boundaries and flexibility, and watching them blossom. "All you need is love," she says in the video anchoring the site.

Walmart is kicking off the "Mother of All Savings Memberships" campaign on social media, working with celebrities, including singer Cardi B and actresses Janelle James and Stephanie Beatriz.

Besides offering plenty of parenting hacks, the campaign is also giving away up to 20,000 free one-year memberships to Walmart+, the program that provides free delivery and streaming on Paramount+. The retailer plans to hand out the memberships in hospitals to any moms giving birth during May. as part of the Pampers Hospital Gift Program, which provides a gift bag for new parents.