Baby brand Carter’s has launched a brand campaign which reminds parents and caregivers everywhere of their strength and resilience. Conceived by Venables Bell + Partners, the “Made for This” campaign includes this spot, “Voicemail from Mom,” which gives viewers an intimate look at one of the most precious, and daunting, firsts for any mom or dad: bath time. We see a new mom conquer her nerves as she embarks on the sacred bathing ritual while a voicemail from her own mother plays over the scene. The voice message is exactly the empathetic validation that she needs.
Eliot Rausch of production company Stink directed “Voicemail from Mom.”
Matt Keats, group creative director at Venables Bell + Partners, said, “Today, more than ever, parents need reassurance. So having the opportunity to partner with Carter’s and speak to them in an authentic way and let them know that they are seen, is something that meant a lot to us. ‘Made For This’ is about acknowledging that parenting is really hard, but that’s also what makes it really worth it. And who hasn’t gotten that voicemail from mom?”
Credits
Client Carter’s Agency Venables Bell + Partners Paul Venables, founder, chairman; Kate Marceau Jeffers, partner, president; Will McGinness, partner, chief creative officer; Matt Keats, Matt Miller, group creative director; Ellie Alibadi, sr. art director; Collin Smith, Crockett Jeffers, copywriters; Hilary Coate, head of integrated production; Ben Latimer, producer; Katy Alonzo, Gavin Jones, co-heads of strategy; Gabi Levi, sr. strategist. Production Stink Eliot Rausch, director; Cambio Fernandez, DP; Miranda Lorenz, production designer; Elizabeth Minzes, exec producer; Ari Schneiderman, head of production; Robyn Moskow, producer. Editorial Cosmo Street Marlo Caine, editor; Yvette Cobarrubias, exec producer; Chelsea Spensley, producer. Picture Finish KEVIN Sue Troyan, sr. exec producer; Andrew Cowderoy, producer. Color Primary Gregory Reese, colorist; Jenny Bright, producer. Music Hook & Line Bernardo Castro, producer; Abby Diamond, Brian Senti, exec producers. Audio Post One Union Recording Studios Joaby Deal, mixer; Jaylen Block-Smith, exec producer; Michael Swarce, producer.
How do you top one of the most viral brand videos ever made? Spoiler alert: you can’t. But when Dollar Shave Club tapped Zack Seckler to direct a new campaign to revive the absurdist humor of its iconic launch video, he knew he had a rare opportunity to create something special.
The brief was simple: introduce the concept of a physical “Club” that people would love to join while showcasing Dollar Shave Club’s products and embracing the weird. From script to direction and post, Seckler--an alum of SHOOT’s 2021 New Directors Showcase--was invited to help sculpt that vision.
The result is this “Welcome to the Club” spot which invites us to join a unique, seemingly exclusive but in reality an accessible and affordable fraternity of Dollar Shave Club members. But you need to know the password or more accurately, the two-word phrase--"shave money."
“The Club” campaign brings the brand back to its humorous roots, reflecting a new chapter after being acquired by Nexus Capital Management from Unilever in late 2023. The work takes Dollar Shave Club back to its disruptive beginnings and what made the brand a viral sensation from its inception in 2011.
