This time last year, Saatchi & Saatch London began a campaign series, #ThankYouMidwife, a tribute to UK’s midwives and the work they do.
Saatchi & Saatchi London: Pampers gets real about the job midwives do
This year, the Publicis Groupe (Saatchi & Saatchi London, MSL Group and Publicis Media) have launched the third film in the series and the second #ThankYouMidwife Christmas film. The latest instalment includes an original recording of Silent Night by Brit Award-winner and mum-of-one, Paloma Faith, featuring the #ThankYouMidwife Choir, a collective of UK parents and influencers. Faith’s rendition of the gentle Christmas carol is set against the bustling noises of a maternity ward.
The film comes from a study by UCL and NCT which showed that 72% of births happen outside of normal working hours, with the majority of babies arriving at 4am. Midwives often spend long, busy and noisy nights on the labour ward, and Christmas Eve is no different.
Rob Burleigh, Executive Global Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi London, commented, “At this time of year, when so many of us are enjoying ourselves it’s important to remember those who are working in maternity wards up and down the country and thank them for the amazing job they do. Our aim is that no midwife should go un-thanked.”
Since Pampers launched its #ThankYouMidwife campaign, over 40 000 people have already expressed their gratitude to UK midwives. In this year’s Christmas’ edition, for every download of Silent Night by Paloma Faith, Pampers will donate £1 to the Royal College of Midwives Benevolent Fund. Pampers is also inviting the public to share their #ThankYouMidwife stories. As a further token of appreciation, every 1,000 public shares of #ThankYouMidwife posts will contribute to a midwife staffroom makeover in UK hospitals. So far, one hospital staffroom at Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton has received a makeover, and a minimum of ten more are planned to take place over the coming months.
The campaign kicked off on Friday, with the release of Paloma Faith’s Silent Night. The films were then launched on TV and in social media on December 2. The song is available to download from iTunes and Amazon Music and available to stream from all the usual platforms.
Paloma Faith commented, “I am so thankful to my midwives for the uncompromised care and support they gave me and my baby, which is why I jumped at the chance to be involved in Pampers #ThankYouMidwife campaign. I had a long, difficult labour, but the midwives were there every step of the way. The Midwives, supported me through a 20-hour labour, working all through the night. I wasn’t dilating, the baby was in jeopardy and I had to have an emergency C-section. I can never thank the midwives at University College Hospital in London enough for the way they looked after me. I know they are doing the same for thousands of other mums and babies across the country, and for that, they should be celebrated.”
Faye Cruickshank, senior assistant brand manager, Pampers UK, added, “At Pampers, we want to continue supporting the UK’s midwives for their important role in the happy, healthy development of every baby. With around 54,000iii babies due to be born in December and 4am being the peak time for births, we know the Christmas period doesn’t slow down for UK midwives and we want to say an extra special thank you for this and for their amazing work all year round.”
Credits
Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi London
Executive Creative Director: Rob Burleigh
Creative Team: Megan Diamond & Jenny Bond
Global Planning Director: Lex Robinson
Account Team: Laura Etherington & Poppy Brookes
Executive Producer: Anne O’Neill
Designer: Suzie Foster
Consumer PR Team: Katie Andrews, Melany Whitworth & Kathryn Parkyn
Media Planners: Philippine Reys & Tom Bradwell
TV Production Company: HLA
Directors: Simon Ratigan & Justin Stokes
Production Company Producer: Tim Daukes
Editing: The Quarry
Post-Production Company: The Mill
Audio Post-Production Company: Wave
Song & Music Video Production: Sony Music
Music Video Director: Laurence Warder
