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 stop random strangers from telling you how to raise your child but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Build nursery furniture! that is a good one!
We can’t keep your husband from saying stupid things,but we can help you deal with almost anything else.
We can’t stop the jokes about your waddle, but we can help you deal with almost everything else
We can’t promise that your husband won’t tell you to “man up” instead of indulging everyone of your pregnancy cravings, but we can help you with everything else.
We can’t help you squeeze your swollen feet into your favorite pair of shoes, but we can help you deal with almost everything else!
We can’t poop for you, but we can help with almost anything else
We can’t stop you from crying at every little thing but we can help with everything else.
We can’t stop people from guessing the babies gender but we can help you deal with almost everything else.”)
We can’t stop people from giving that look when you tell them you are only six months along but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t help you with that duck waddle but we can help you with everything else.
We can’t help you paint your toenails, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t turn the scale backwards, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t guarantee delivery won’t hurt, but we can help with everything else.
We can’t buy you new shoes because they seem to have shrunk overnight, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Dang – already taken 😉
We can’t stop that you haven’t seen your toes in months, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
I mean, “we can help you deal with almost everything else”, obviously.
We can’t make dinner, feed the dog, or fold the laundry for you when you are exhausted but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you shave your legs, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t make your husband rub your swollen feet, but we can help you deal with almost everything else!
We can’t keep your husband from turning the thermostat back up, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t stop your girlfriends from innocently telling you that you look “extra pregnant” today, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop people for. Rubbing your belly, but we can help with everything else!
We can’t stop your baby from kicking you in the ribs, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you tie your shoes but we can help with almost anything else
We can’t toilet train your preschooler by the time baby comes, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t go to the store at 3 a.m. to fetch whatever you’re craving, but we can help you deal with almost anything else.
We can’t hold your hair back while you drive that porcelain bus, but we can help you with almost everything else.
We can’t help you find your toes, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
This one is it!!
We can’t make the phrase “you look too young to have children!” Illegal but we can help you with almost everything else.
We can’t stop people from looking shocked and in disbelief when you tell them “nope, not delivering tomorrow still 4 months to go”, but we can help you deal with everything else.
We cant stop people from giving their opinion on your name choice but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t decorate the nursery or organize all of the baby clothes, but we can help with almost everything else.
we can’t make sure your shoes match, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t buy you ice cream in the middle of the night, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you once the bundle of joy arrives but in the meantime we can help with everything else.
We can’t stop you from having to blindy shave your bikini line, but we can help you with almost everything else.
We can’t stop your husband from loving that terrible name, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t promise you a stork delivery, but we can help with almost anything else
There will be many brain farts, there is nothing we can do about that, but we can help you deal with almost everything else!
We can’t stop your 2-yr-old from climbing on your belly but….
We can’t make your husband sleep on the couch and free up your bed, we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Oops, just saw that was the first one! I knew it was a good one!
We can’t cure your constipated duck waddle, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Posted and then edited and now I can’t find it
We can’t stop people from giving you the “is she pregnant or just fat?” look, but we can help you deal with almost everything else!
We can’t keep people from giving you “advice”, but we can help you with everything else.
Omg yes!
We can’t stop you from growing out of everything you own, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t throat punch people who ask if you’re STILL pregnant, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make you go into labor, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t massage your lower back for you but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t help you answer your child’s question – “How does that baby come out of you?!” – But we can help you deal with just about everything else.
oooh, good one!
We can’t help you remember why you just went into the kitchen, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t make maternity clothes stylish, but we can help you deal with almost anything else.
We cant stop your toddler from imitating you while you puke, but we can help you with everything else.
blindly* oops!
We can’t hold your hair back for you, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop making you waddle like a duck, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t paint your toenails, but we can help you deal with about everything else.
We can’t stop you waddling but…..
We can’t keep rolling over from being a three-point-turn, but we can help with you desk with almost everything else.
We can’t help you put your socks on, but we can help with everything else!
We can’t stop your mother-in-law from constantly telling you how tired you look but we can help with almost everything else.
While I don’t qualify since I live in Canada (boo hiss), I still wanted to play:
We can’t promise you’ll lose your pregnancy brain, but we can help with everything else.
Incidentally, I am still waiting for this to happen.
We can’t help you with “pregnancy brain”, but we can help you deal with almost everything else!
We can’t calm down the 15 3 year olds you work with the whole 9 months of your pregnancy, but we can help with almost everything else!
We can’t tell you how dilated you are, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t keep your breasts from leaking, but we can help you deal with almost everything everything else.
We can’t make your arms longer to reach the steering wheel but….
We can’t throw the people who said “you look like you have a litter in there” in the pound, but we can help you deal with almost anything else.
We can’t stop your crazy pregnancy dreams but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop you from getting up ten times a night to pee but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop people from wondering if you are pregnant or just fat but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you see your feet (because your belly is so big)…but we can help you with everything else.
We can’t tell you that the extra weight you’re gaining from your gluttonous food binges will disappear when you deliver the baby, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop you from thinking of every possible horrible nickname your kid will endure no matter what you name him, but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t stop you from crying at all those commercials, but we can help you with almost everything else!
We can’t keep you from having dog farts
We can’t give you a good nights sleep
We can’t stop the stretchmarks
We can’t help you smack those strangers who ask you “Soooooo, you’re done, RIGHT?!” But we can help you deal with just about everything else.
We can’t make your husband love the baby name you want but we can help with everything else.
I hated that! “you’re still pregnant?” “no I just decided to shove a watermelon under my shirt and walk around all day while I left my newborn at home…”
WHAT?!?! no canadians? i should have read the rules more thouroughly. i had some good ones too! 🙁
We can’t change the fact that Mexican food is the worst thing to throw up at 2am, but we can help you deal with almost anything else.
We can’t stop you from ordering the entire left side of the menu, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t guarantee your husband won’t pass out during delivery but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t help you avoid hearing everyone’s annoying birth stories/advice, but we can help you with everything else.
We can’t speed up your pregnancy to get that baby here faster, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t tell you when you will get a full night’s sleep again, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We cant promise youll look back and miss every second of your pregnancy but we can make those 9 months an easier journey.
We cant help with the need to scrub baseboards at 2 am but we can help you deal with everything else.
We cant keep you from out growing your maternity clothes but we can help you deal with everything else.
We can’t get Congress to mandate a 12 month, paid maternity leave but we can help with almost everything else.
We can’t get you back into your amazing pre-pregnancy shoe collection ever again, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop you from vomitting at what was once the smell of your favorite shampoo, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t give you a foot rub at the end of the day, but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
Flip flops were my best friend!
We can’t give you our seat on the subway, but we can help you with everything else
We can’t stop your toddler from wanting to be carried by you but we can help you deal with almost everything else.
We can’t stop people from asking when you are going to try for another baby…before you’ve had the baby you are currently carrying, but we can help you with almost everything else.