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Pampers absorbs millennials? quest for relevance in YouTube lullaby

A campaign by Procter & Gamble?s Pampers diaper brand leverages a life-affirming YouTube video lullaby to reach millennial mothers who prefer to buy from brands that demonstrate socially positive and transparent values. 

In the Pampers #BetterForBaby Twitter/YouTube ad, a mother croons a lullaby to a baby to the tune of ?Hush Little Baby, Don?t You Cry,? but with idyllic lyrics and images that convey a dream for a better world. The ad, tied to Pampers? donations to nonprofit partners Feeding America, UNICEF and Graham's Foundation, points to marketers? need to demonstrate they understand millennial mothers? need to associate with brands which reflect their own ideals and dreams.

?This film was actually inspired by several millennial moms we met during qualitative research over the past year,? said Heather Valento, associate director of communications for Pampers, a unit of Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH. ?They shared amazing stories about how their babies were positive change agents in their lives, so we set out to make a film that recognizes how babies bring out the best in all of us.?

Call to action
The Pampers Better for Baby film, which is coupled with a Twitter party and a sweepstakes, ends with a pledge: ?together we can make life #betterforbaby.? 

It includes a call to action to tweet how the consumer can make life better for baby and to see how Pampers makes life better for baby. The action cannot be done directly by clicking on the video.

Pampers on Twitter.

The video opens with a shot of a suburban home. Then it shows a mother cradling a whining baby. The mother shushes the baby then begins to sing. As she sings to the tune of ?Hush Little Baby,? lyrics that paint of picture of a kinder, gentler, more considerate world appear on the bottom of the screen. 

For instance, as viewers hear the mother?s voice-over singing, ?And to help give Mom a lift, Daddy?s going to take the midnight shift,? viewers see a midnight image of a father cradling the baby.

As viewers see an image of the mother encouraging a toddler to play with her infant sibling, they hear the lyrics, ?And although it isn?t fair, your sister?s going to have to learn to share.?

Toward the end, viewers see a cartoon cat and dog, old enemies, embracing each other lovingly. The lyrics here go: ?And when in your line of sight, enemies will choose to end the fight.?

In a direct outreach to millennial mothers, the video?s final words are, ?And though it seems it?s just begun, this lullaby for you has just begun.?

Pampers coupled the campaign with a Twitter party and a sweepstakes. Although the campaign prizes are worth relatively little, they would resonate with the participating audience.

The video fits with comments made in November by executives with Hain Celestial Group, parent of Earth?s Best baby food and Celestial Seasonings tea, as well as agency Iced Media at Mobile Marketer?s Mobile Women to Watch 2015 Summit. The speakers said that brand marketers must emphasize transparency and emotional relevance in campaigns and communications to win over well-educated, information-hungry millennial mothers.

?Millennial moms are a passionate audience who constantly leverage social media to share special mothering moments, consult others for advice, or offer their own feedback to others,? said Shuli Lowy, marketing director for mobile with Ping Mobile. ?The average millennial Mom has hundreds of social media friends and followers. 

?Getting her to share branded content not only drives further visibility for Pampers but those branded impressions are more valuable as they are coming from a fellow consumer,? she said. 

Moving audience
Pampers strategically aimed to get people to engage with the campaign by touching on a sensitive, emotional chord. In focus group studies it found that many mothers talked about the positive impact motherhood has had in their lives. 

Scene from Pampers YouTube video.

?Pampers hopes the Better for Baby film inspires people to share what they already do ? and what they might begin doing ? to make life better for the babies in their lives,? Ms. Valento said. 

Final Take
Michael Barris is staff reporter for Mobile Marketer, New York