The Mother’s Day campaign by AlmapBBDo for Brazilian beauty brand, O Boticário, isn’t a cloyingly sweet gush of love. Instead, it tackles one of parenting’s hardships – the stigma and challenges involving relationships between mothers and adolescent children. It does that with a short film called Tempest.
A 2022 Harvard study indicated that the parents of teenagers feel just as lonely and depressed as their children, which has a direct effect on the development and consolidation of their relationship. Of the families surveyed, 18% of teenagers were dealing with anxiety, while 20% of mothers felt the same. Depression, meanwhile, affected 15% of teenagers and 16% of mothers. In this stage of life, which is so often seen as a frightening and turbulent, mothers and children are forced to rethink their roles in one another’s lives. Motherhood beyond early childhood is a challenging time of constant changes in family relationships.
Tempest, directed by Kid Burro and set to a song by Billie Eilish, moves from real life to metaphor to memory and back to real life as it examines the struggle from both a mother and her son’s point of view. In a delicate, poetic juxtaposition, a raging storm runs in parallel with a heated argument, expressed through striking, powerful gazes between the actors portraying the experiences of mother and teenager.
The turbulent scenes echo the challenges of adolescence. During the film, the sky blackens, the wind tears through what was once a house, and the rain whips down in sheets, showing that mother and son are in the thick of a storm on the high seas. Just as quickly, however, the waves calm down and the storm breaks, bringing reconciliation. The movement of the cameras symbolises all the adversities that may be dealt with, reinforcing that, as hard as it may be, this stage calls for support, affection, and acceptance; and the audience is left with the reassurance that this, too, will pass.
The full campaign, that also includes gift experiences at Boticário stores, is designed to encourage mothers to shed their insecurity and embark on a journey of building mutual trust.
“In this campaign, we’re looking to call attention to what’s widely seen as one of the most turbulent and loneliest stages in motherhood, and which often doesn’t get as much attention as it ought in the conversations around Mother’s Day,” stated Marcela De Masi, executive director of Branding and Communications at the Boticário Group. “That’s why we’re encouraging in-depth dialogues and reflections so that mothers can identify and, hand in hand with their children, embark on a path of mutual rediscovery, trust, and growth. After all, motherhood is an experience that’s lived day by day, throughout every stage of life.”
O Boticário’s commemorative campaigns always address relevant issues that reinforce a sense of identification and belonging for thousands of Brazilian mothers.
Marco “Pernil” Giannelli, CCO at AlmapBBDO, commented, “This time, apart from the concept, we were able to innovate in the format. The film is longer and more metaphorical, with a soundtrack that fits like a glove – it appeals to young people and touches the hearts of mothers and everyone else who was once a teenager.”
Beyond its innovative and hyper-realistic format, Tempest, which involved over 200 people and nearly 30 hours of shooting, includes a sustainable initiative executed by production company, My Mama Entertainment, and Eccaplan. In order to neutralise the carbon emissions of filming, over 7 tons of CO2 were compensated and 42 trees were planted. Participants also got on board with the Sou Resíduo Zero campaign, ensuring that all solid waste was disposed of in an environmentally friendly fashion.
Credits
Client: O Boticário
Agency: AlmapBBDO
President & CEO: Filipe Bartholomeu
CCOs: Luiz Sanches & Pernil
Executive Creative Directors: Fernando Duarte & Henrique Del Lama
Creatives: Áurea Ramon, Giullia Abreu, Igor Cabó & Pedro Hefs
Audiovisual Production: Diego Villas Boas, Juliana Henriques & Aline Silva
Liaisons: Camilla Massari, Andressa Duo, Bruna Defelippe, Thais Guarlotti & Kayuan Fernando
Planning: Rita Almeida, Daniela Ferrari & Júlia Martins
Media: Rafaela Alves, Mariana Areia, Suellen Kiss, Yasmin Baffa, Camila Lopes, Patrick Novaes & Letícia Strada
Production: MyMama Entertainment
Director: Kid Burro
Creative Assistant: Luigi Madormo
2nd Unit Director: Ana Valente
Producers: André Pinho, Mayra Faour Auad, and Gabrielle Auad
Executive Production & Coordination Manager: João da Terra
Executive Producers: Mafe Cicaroni & Pati Caldas
Making of Director: Yago Sagrado
Post-Production Coordination (MyMama): Fezão Barbieri
Editor: Danilo Abraham
Post-Production: Diogo Beber
Making of Post-Production: Raphael Tarso
Post Assistant: Vitor Torres
VFX: Nash
Colour Grading: Clandestino
Audio Production: Satelite Audio
