Baby and parenting brand, Philips Avent, is giving Australian mothers more than understanding. Its new campaign by We Scout offers them they support they need but don’t always ask for. Rather than focusing on the challenges of motherhood, Love For Mum celebrates what happens when the village is invited in.

“Our research uncovered that Australian mothers are exhausted and while the people around them are ready to help, too often support never arrives because nobody asked for it. We wanted to create more than a campaign. We wanted to turn that insight into an integrated brand experience that connected emotionally while creating meaningful engagement across retail, shopper, digital and live experiences. Every element has been designed to celebrate the villages that help mothers through one of life’s biggest transitions,” stated Julie Chan, marketing manager at Philips Avent ANZ.

The campaign was inspired by new research revealing a real disconnect between Australian mothers and the people who want to support them. While 93% of Australian mothers report feeling burnt out and 75% say they struggle to ask for help when they need it most, 90% of the people in a new mother’s village say they would step in if only they knew they were needed.

At the heart of the campaign is a limited-edition Love For Mum coffee table book featuring deeply personal letters written by the people who supported these women through one of life’s biggest transitions, partners, friends, siblings and chosen family, sharing what it was like to witness them become mothers. Each letter is paired with intimate photography capturing both the joy and complexity of early motherhood. The book is a meaningful gift with purchase through participating retailers, transforming the campaign’s central message into a tangible keepsake for new parents.

The campaign is led by Ellidy Pullin, who welcomed daughter Minnie after the tragic loss of her partner, Olympic snowboarder Alex “Chumpy” Pullin, and has openly shared her journey through grief and motherhood. Ellidy is joined by Brooke Jowett, Nicole Saldern, Kelly Banning, Alana Wu, Rebecca Gibbs, Ellie Stevens, Nikita Samiotis, Julie Chan, Danielle and Nicole from When Words Fail, and Malaan Ajang, each sharing the story of the person who helped carry them through motherhood. Ellidy also wrote the book’s foreword, reflecting on her own experience of navigating motherhood with the support of her village.

The campaign’s hero content follows the same idea. Each contributor’s village person wrote them a letter before reading it aloud for the first time on camera. Those genuine, unscripted moments became the emotional heart of the campaign, offering an authentic alternative to the polished creator content that has long dominated parenting marketing. And it translates into real life through The Village Milkbar powered by Philips Avent, a two-day consumer activation taking July 24 and 25 at September Studio’s new café, The Neighbourhood, in Sydney’s Darlinghurst, a welcoming space where communities can gather, celebrate motherhood and recognise the villages that make it possible.

Annabelle Jones, director of We Scout, “When we presented this thinking to Philips Avent, they immediately backed an idea that stretched what the brand has traditionally done in this market. It meant leaning into the emotion of motherhood and meeting mums and their villages where they are, rather than simply talking at them. We’re proud that Love For Mum feels raw, honest and unfiltered. It’s a campaign built around real stories that reminds mothers they don’t have to do it alone, and we’re incredibly proud of the partnership we’ve built with Philips Avent Australia to bring that vision to life.”

The full campaign, that extends Philips Avent’s global Share the Care platform, transforms a powerful consumer insight into storytelling, shopper marketing, retail activation, digital and consumer experience.

Credits
Client: Philips Avent
Head of Marketing, Philips Personal Health ANZ: Marit Hannemann
Marketing Manager, Philips Avent: Julie Chan
Agency: We Scout
Agency Lead: Lori Susko and Annabelle Jones
Experiential & Activation: Kate Thomassian