In Taiwan, moms believe breastmilk is the best. Over 70 percent of moms breastfeed their baby for 7 to 9 months or more. The whole society puts lot of pressure on these mothers of newborn babies. If they don’t breastfeed their babies for a while, they are not regarded as good moms.

That is why many infant formula brands have tried to build an association between their ingredients and “breastmilk.” illuma is one of these brands. As illuma was a latecomer to the Taiwan market, how could we convince mothers of newborn babies that illuma should be their most preferred choice after breastmilk, to cut through the sameness of the competition?

IDEA: The Truest Beauties

We observed that breastfeeding mothers put up with lots of pressure from the moment their baby is born. They are worried if their breastmilk is enough for their baby. They are worried if the baby is healthy every single day. Not to mention that they have to breastfeed the baby every four hours, even late at night. They are not sure they are qualified to be good mothers.

In order to regain their confidence, we curated an art exhibition called “The Truest Beauties,” displaying classic paintings of breastfeeding through the centuries, including the beauty of breastfeeding mothers today. In the final gallery, when the mothers saw themselves in the paintings, they discovered that no matter how times change, their beauty always remains radiant, as they silently strive for the little lives they love.

In Taiwan, people think if mothers of newborn babies don’t breastfeed for a long time, they are not good mothers. That is why these mothers try so hard and persist on their breastfeeding journey. But no one can understand how horrible their nightmare is.

The truth is they feel like cows. Every four hours they must breastfeed their baby, which takes all their personal freedom away. They have to get up to breastfeed at 3 a.m. when their husbands are slumbering blissfully. And they fear they are not good enough to be mothers. Some of them even suffer from PPD (postpartum depression).

Therefore, illuma wanted to encourage the whole society to pay more attention on breastfeeding mothers. The purpose of the art exhibition “The Truest Beauties” is to help them regain their confidence and to demonstrate how beautiful they truly are when they dedicate everything to their beloved babies.

In a place that new mothers frequently visit, Huashan Creative Park, we organized an art exhibition featuring iconic portraits of nursing mothers from the 16th through the 20th centuries, including works by Raphael and Renoir. We invited breastfeeding moms to attend the exhibition, and allowed them to become immersed in the beauty of nursing mothers down through the ages. In the final gallery, a surprise awaited… We had secretly commissioned paintings of each of the mothers, so that they too would become a contemporary “truest beauty.”

The documentary video generated broad resonance across social media. On illuma’s fan page, we provided a selection of augmented reality filters, so all the breastfeeding mothers who could not attend the exhibition still had the chance to see themselves portrayed as a classic painting, and experience the thrill of being the “Truest Beauty in the World.”

1. Without any special offers or discounts, market share hit a record high of 6.6% one month after the campaign was launched. (Average market share throughout the previous 3 months was 4.7%.)

2. The 3’ 20” brand video generated 2.27M views, 14K likes, and 3,939 shares within one month (while the competitor’s most popular video reached 0.64M views during the same period).

3. Over 5,000 visitors attended the art exhibition, which generated over 20 mainstream TV reports within two days.

4. The media spoke highly of the exhibition. “It invites the whole society to appreciate the beauty of breastfeeding from a whole new perspective” – Vogue. “The truest beauty is you who dedicate your whole heart and soul to the baby you love.” – Marie Claire.