Iliza Shlesinger’s grandma offers unsolicited breastfeeding advice in Willow ad
The Drum’s Ad of the Day highlights work that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Today’s winner is Willow’s ‘Don’t Just Suck It Up’ by Iliza Shlesinger.
Award-winning American comedian Iliza Shlesinger has written a new spot for breast pump-makers Willow with the intention of demanding better for moms.
‘Don’t Just Suck It Up’ depicts an over-the-top baby shower featuring a cast of characters from an annoying college bro and a know-it-all grandma to an exhausting mother-in-law. Representing the mom’s circle, the characters shower the mom-to-be with love and all the parenting advice that no one asked for. Grandma’s take on breast pumps? Check. Friendly criticism of mom’s back-to-work plan? Check.
It’s the first TV ad for Willow, which enlisted Shlesinger to lend her comedic touch but also tap into her experiences as a mother. The spot aims to ignite a conversation on how society supports – or doesn’t support – moms.
“Pregnancy and parenting are filled with so much well-intentioned advice that doesn’t actually support moms,” said Shlesinger.
“Moms deserve better; they deserve empathy and humor. Willow’s team was on board with me satirizing some of the characters in mom’s inner circle. This ad is all about seeing the world from mom’s perspective and bringing some levity to our challenges.”
From today, moms can register for the support and the tools they need most on the ‘mom registry’ – a resource that provides shareable information for them.
“Far too often, new mothers struggle without support, wondering where is that village she was promised? It doesn’t have to be this way,” added Sarah O’Leary, chief commercial officer of Willow Innovations.
“Our ‘Register for More’ campaign offers a better way forward from the judgmental and sometimes absurd experiences of parenting culture. Willow was the first brand to challenge convention in the breast pump category, and now we’re disrupting the conventional narrative about motherhood to imagine a better world for moms.”