Funny thing happened when I announced I was quitting advertising to focus on Mommy Shorts full time— I got a call from a company asking me to do their advertising.
Not freelancing for an agency creating the advertising, actually working directly with the company. Kind of like Mommy Shorts was the agency.
Did I want to do that? Initially, I wasn’t sure.
But then… I really liked the brand (it’s a much needed line of over-the-counter remedies designed specifically for pregnant women called healthy mama)… AND I figured out a way to include all of you guys!
Here’s the deal.
I created three healthy mama print ads (they’ll be running in magazines like Fit Pregnancy and Pregnancy & Newborn starting in April) and now…
They’re offering up $750 to the Mommy Shorts reader who comes up with the next headline in the campaign.
I told healthy mama my readers are smarter and funnier than I am, so don’t disappoint!
Here’s the brief (that’s what we call it in the ad world)…
THE BRAND: HEALTHY MAMA
Remember when you were pregnant and got that crazy back ache in the beginning of your third trimester? You googled “what can I take for a back ache while pregnant” but that sent you to a community board on Baby Center with random unqualified people giving varying misinformation about drug ingredients you couldn’t even pronounce, right?
Well, healthy mama is trying to change all that. They’re on a mission to create a prenatal category you can easily find on one shelf. They’ve just launched a new line of over-the-counter remedies specifically designed to be the safest* for pregnant and nursing women. The products tackle common pregnancy symptoms like heartburn, lack of sleep, pain relief, nausea and constipation— but with fun names like “Tame the Flame”, “Move it Along” and “Shake that Ache”.
Because even if the sight of salmon makes you want to hurl on your cankles, this is still a happy time, right???
Healthy mama is backed by the American Pregnancy Association, FDA accepted and made in the USA. It’s currently being sold at babiesrus.com, Buy Buy Baby, healthymamabrand.com and coming soon to Drugstore.com.
THE MESSAGE:
Pregnancy might be beautiful but it is definitely not without it’s unfavorable side effects. From exhaustion to stretch marks to nosy comments from strangers. The healthy mama campaign aims to open up an honest dialogue about what women go through while they are expecting, giving moms-to-be a reason to laugh at their circumstances together.
(I wrote that myself. Don’t I sound official?)
THE ADS:
THE ASSIGNMENT:
I am reaching out to all my readers to come up with the next headline in the healthy mama campaign. Please follow the structure of the headlines already created (i.e. “We can’t ______________________ but we can help you deal with almost everything else.”)
Use your personal experience and go as far out there as you would like. We want the headlines to be funny, honest, and relatable.
As an example, here’s a fourth headline I REALLY want healthy mama to run:
THE RULES:
1) You must be a healthy mama facebook fan to enter. You can “like” their page by clicking here.
2) Leave your healthy mama headline in the comment section below. You can enter a maximum of three times.
If you’d like to promote on twitter, facebook, pinterest or instagram, it won’t help your chances but we’d appreciate it! Please use #healthymamaheadlines.
I’ll be posting some of my favorite headlines next week and the winners will be announced on April 2, 2014. You must enter by April 1, 2014 at 6pm ET. The winners will be selected by both myself and healthy mama based on which headline we would like to use in the ad campaign.
For the official contest rules and regulations, click here.
THE PRIZES!
GRAND PRIZE:
• $750 Visa Gift Card plus the chance to have your headline appear in a nationally run print and digital campaign
• healthy mama products valued at $100
2ND PLACE:
• 1 Diono RadianRXT Car Seat ($350)
• $100 Visa Gift Card
• healthy mama products valued at $75
3RD PLACE:
• $50 Visa Gift Card
• healthy mama products valued at $50
Thanks to everyone for being part of my advertising team. And a big thanks to healthy mama for trusting me to do this!
GOOD LUCK!!!
——————————————-
This post was sponsored by healthy mama. That was pretty obvious, I think. I’m very excited to be working with them!
* No medication is considered 100% safe during pregnancy and nursing.
We can’t help you get your socks and shoes on in the morning but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop you from waddling like a duck, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make people like the baby name you’ve chosen but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop men from asking stupid questions but we can help you deal with almost everything else
We can’t plan your baby shower but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you figure out what to do with the adorable, helpless, totally dependent little munchkin once it’s born but we can help you deal with almost everything else until that terrifying time arrives!
We can’t cure your Pregnancy Forgetfulness, Placenta Brain, or Mommy Brain, but we can help you deal with almost everything else!
Not being able to sleep in stomach!
We can’t stop your worries (or those introduced to you by others) about life after pregnancy but we can help with everything else
We can’t roll you over in bed but we can help you deal with almost everything else
We can’t pee for you at 2 am but…
We can’t make your boss allow you to sit down, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t get the baby out NOW, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t keep people from sharing their delivery day horror stories with you but…
We can’t stop your mother-in-law from giving her best parental “advice”, but we can help with everything else!
We can’t stop you from passing more gas than a BP station…..
We can’t make your husband feel your contractions, but we can help with everything else!
We can’t make your hubby feel your contractions,but we can help with everything else!
We can’t stop you from growing more back hair than a Sasquatch……
We can’t help you put your sock on, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help with pregnancy brain, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t remember why you walked in to the room either, but we can help you with everything else.
We can’t remove the hair that grows everywhere, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t prevent your water from breaking in public, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t stop your obsessing over possible listeria contamination at the deli counter, but we can . . .
“We can’t help you blame the dog on your flatulence but we can help you deal with almost everything else.”
We can’t keep your belly button from popping like a turkey timer, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you tame your ever-growing Amazon jungle “down South” but we can help you with almost everything else.
We can’t stop your little boxer in training from using you as a punching bag, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t cure your pregnancy delusions about how you will be the perfect parent, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t convince your baby to come a week early, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t predict when you will go into labor, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t tell you when the baby will get here, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you pee in the cup at the doctors, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t pay for their college education, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you and your partner agree on a name, but we can help you deal with almost anything else.
We can’t stop people from exclaiming, ‘You haven’t had that baby yet?!’ but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help it if the ancient Chinese birth chart predicts the wrong gender, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Or:
We can’t help it if the ancient Chinese birth chart is umm…ancient, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t find a comfortable position for you to sleep, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t help you shave the amazon jungle down yonder…would be rather awkward honestly, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make flip flops mandatory office dress code but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make a one size fits all “skinny” jean, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop you from tracking a nauseating 2 day old scent like a purebred Bloodhound— 3 rooms away but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Wish I could add more than three, got about 10 more! FUN!
We can’t make flip flops mandatory office dress code but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make a one size fits all “skinny” jean, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop you from tracking a nauseating 2 day old scent like a purebred Bloodhound— 3 rooms away but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Wish I could add more than three, got about 10 more! FUN!
#1
We can’t help you roll out of bed but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
#2
We can’t help you defend your choice of baby names but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
#3
We can’t keep your mother-in-law from freaking out about you being “past due” but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t wedge your feet in those adorable shoes, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Ellen
We can’t wedge your feet in those adorable shoes, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Ellen
We can’t guarantee the ultrasound tech will accurately determine your baby’s gender, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t force your husband to have sex with you, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t tie your shoes for you, but we can help with everything else.
“We can’t protect you from hemorrhoids but we can help you deal with almost everything else.”
We can’t make your 3-year-old act like a civilized human being, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t make time pass faster, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make your Mother-in-law stop giving you “advice”, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t keep baby’s feet out of your ribs, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make time pass faster, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make your Mother-in-law stop giving you “advice”, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t keep baby’s feet out of your ribs, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t convince people to actually purchase from your baby registry, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t convince your husband that he will need to continue to clean up the cat poop even after baby is born, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t push your belly button back in, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t let you sleep on your stomach but…
We can’t change the numbers on the scale but…
We can’t keep your husband from trying the bedroom boogie but…
We can’t stop your waddle but…
We can’t predict when this will be over but…
We can’t let “with child” warrant a handicap parking spot but….
We can’t explain why you thought more kids was a good idea but…
We can’t control what the rest of them are doing while you’re trying to nurse but…
We can’t guarantee you’ll ever get to pee in peace again but…
We can’t pay for the outrageous medical bills but…
We can’t prevent the boob leakage in public but…
We aren’t a mocha latte, but we can help with everything else.
“We can’t stop people from telling you their labor and delivery horror stories, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.”
Congrats to you on the new gig, Ilana!
We can’t help dodge unsolicited guesses about how far along you are (36 weeks? No, thanks, I’m only 24…) but we can help you deal with almost everything else
1. We can’t stop your belly button from popping, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
2. We can’t stop you pants from getting tighter, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
3. We can’t stop the number of times you have to go pee in a cup, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t take away your sense of smell. .. But we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t take away your sense of smell. . But we can help you deal with almost everything else. .
We can’t help you in the delivery room but we can help you with almost everything else.
We can’t help you with falling asleep at your desk while still typing, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t help you remember that you put your car keys in the refrigerator, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t keep your butt from looking like a tire with half the air let out, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t stop you from peeing on your hand every week during urine testing, but we can help you with everything else.
We can’t help you put your socks on, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
we can’t stop moms from sharing their labor horror stories with you, but we can help you deal with almost everything else
we can’t stop people from commenting on your coffee habit, but we can help you deal with almost everything else
we can’t stop people from asking ‘you’re still pregnant?!’ but we can help you deal with almost everything else
We can’t stop people from telling you about their 36-hours of hard labor that ended in a C-section, but we can help you deal with everything else.
“We can’t decide what shade of pink looks best in the nusery for you, but we can help you deal with almost everything else”
“We can’t help your husband from passing out during labor, but we can help you deal with almost everything else!”
We can’t make that baby’s head any smaller, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop the baby from using your bladder as a trampoline, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t stop people from asking, “haven’t you had that baby yet”, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t stop your baby from using your breast as a chew toy, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t give you that back rub you wanted, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t stop people from asking if you’re massaging your perineum daily, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop you worrying that your waters will break in the middle of the grocery store, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop you from yelling at your husband for misplacing the muffin tins, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t stop strangers from telling you to just get jiggy with it when you’re overdue, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Can you please delete my entry above as I got confused thinking post-pregnancy issues at first lol?
We can’t teach your husband to massage your feet, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
we can’t make naps at work possible but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make the first trimester feel any less like the world’s worst hangover but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t promise you will deliver on your due date, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t take the blame for crop dusting everyone in the grocery store aisle, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you remember anything, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t help you from sounding like a lumberjack in the middle of the night, but we can help you with almost everything else
We can’t give you that overly due pedicure, but we can help with everything else!
We can’t help find your husband in the bed under all of your extra pillows but we can help you deal with almost everything else
“We can’t give your dignity back, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.”
“We can’t get you seen by your obstetrician within an hour of your appointment time, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.”
“We can’t stop those stupid noises your hubby is making with the registry gun, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.”
We can’t stop people from giggling while you waddle by, but we can help with everything else!
We can’t roll you out of bed, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t stop people from saying “just you wait”, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t help with nesting, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t help you try to “squeeze” into your skinny jeans but we can help you deal with almost everything else
We can’t stop you from sitting down to pee at 2am when your husband left the toilet seat up, but we can help you deal with almost everything else!
We can’t be sushi (or we are not sushi, or “we are not the salmon shashimi you’ve been craving since thirty seconds after peeing on the stick”) but we can help you deal with nearly everything else.
We can’t help you remember why the hell you came into this room, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you shave, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.