It’s 2020, you are one of the 40% single moms in South Africa, you are on total lockdown, juggling work and parenting of new baby all alone, without any support, , only with your parental stress and anxiety, and within 4 walls that get closer to each other as each day of lockdown passes. As a parent to a baby who never saw the outside world, never got to go to a park, meet family, make friends – single mothers especially feel like they are failing their babies - that the basic milestones, experiences for a baby that were commonplace – they can no longer can provide for their babies.

As Pampers, we had to act and ease the moms’ burden of anxiety by celebrating her unique strengths during these times and reassuring her that she is the best mom she can ever be in spite of Covid.

"When the world outside was shut, you brought the world to your baby. "

Lockdown or not, babies always discover the world through their parents. They taste the world through the subtle nuances in their moms’ milk. . They speak it through the language they hear from their mom. They understand it through mom’s reactions. Wherever moms are, is the kids’ world.

Pampers launched its '#MamaUyindlovu' campaign in November 2021,

#MamaUyindlovu (Uyindlovu literally means “you’re like the elephant, but is used as a local moniker of high praise for strength: i.e. (a colossal force/queen)

This Pampers campaign was launched during a very difficult time for parents – where many had to navigate a new world as first-time parents brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents especially Single Moms had to find creative ways to bring adventure home and connect with family whilst juggling various economic pressures that come with parenting.

The campaign was built around three South African consumer truths:

· 40% of moms in South Africa are Single Moms

· Every baby in a diaper today is a “lockdown baby” was born/raised during lockdown

· Every parent was worried that baby has missed out on critical baby development moments due to lockdown. This anxiety is magnified with single moms.

The objective of the campaign was to celebrate single moms, reassure them and highlight the triumphs of single mums during lockdown.

We brought this campaign to life by collaborating with single mum SA influencer and singer Busisiwe Thwala “CICI”. Cici’s son had spent most of his first year in lockdown and she shared the many ways she was able to bring the world home to him. We wanted to reinforce to moms that they had done more than enough to add colour in their lives.

The campaign launch date was picked to coincide with the National Children's Day celebration in South Africa to strike a strong chord with mothers.

Influencers opened up about their experiences as single moms and how this impact on their mental health and emotional wellbeing. Women from all walks of life shared their fears, hopes and insecurities – and how these were all shaped during the pandemic.

We partnered with Smart Start to provide early child education scholarships to lift a little bit of the load off Single Moms.

The campaign was digitally-led across facebook, Instagram, TikTok, youtube as well as instore activation to drive scholarship donations - 1 Pack of Pampers purchase = 1 life changing donation towards early learning scholarships.

This campaign ran from November 2021 to January 2022 with total number of 91 KOLs, spending of $117,830.

The placements:

- Campaign video

- Social media

- In-store leaflets

The campaign achieved over 19 million impressions reaching over 11 million people, 76% of which were South African moms. The ad recall for the campaign was 2X our target with many consumers expressing heart-warming reactions to the campaign. Many single mothers expressed gratitude, stating that they felt “seen” – no longer invisible and carrying a sense of shame because of their circumstances. The #MamaUyindlovu movement shone a greater spotlight on the unique needs of single mothers and how communities can play a role in meeting them.

The South African government, recognizing the scope and seriousness of economic need in single-mother households, reaffirmed its commitment to the National Development Plan: Vision 2030 to raise living standards and social security, as well as welfare policies directed specifically at women and children.

Pampers affirmed its commitment to serving single-mom headed families by partnering with SmartStart, an early childhood learning institute, to provide early learning and daycare for families – which can make the difference between families remaining in a cycle of poverty and limited opportunity or making progress that benefits the family across mental, economic, emotional and social indices.

The contextual relevance and resonance of #MamaUyindlovu resulted in a 6pt lift in brand equity for attributes such as “cares for my baby’s skin” and “recommended by moms” demonstrating that Pampers was being viewed as a brand that supports and serves families and supports the happy and healthy development of children.

Pampers business benefited from 8% rise in share growth over the campaign period.