Babyganics captures the 'perfectly imperfect' chaos of parenting

If you’re a mom or dad, you know that parenting isn’t quite the dreamy, tidy, cuddly, pastel-colored world that has defined the baby-marketing playbook over the last few decades. It’s chaotic, messy, exhausting, frustrating, but also a tremendous joy. Such realities are laid bare in a new campaign from Babyganics, “Here’s to Perfectly Imperfect Parenting.”

Created out of agency Red & Co., the anthem spot splices together scenes of the rollercoaster that is parenting—made all the more challenging with the obstacles of the pandemic-induced “new normal.” A mom tries to get a bit of rest on a bed her little ones have turned into a trampoline, a dad gets tangled in a baby wrap, a new mother pumps while taking a work call, kids slam and throw stuff—all over the house and the grocery store. All of it is set to a new version of the popular kids’ song “Wheels on the Bus,” with lyrics adjusted to reflect moms and dads’ realities:

The toddlers on the bus go crash crash bang, crash crash bang, crash crash bang. The toddlers on the bus go crash crash bang, crash crash bang, crash crash bang. You’re getting really stressed.

The campaign aims to show how Babyganics is not just a brand for the little ones, but one that wants to support parents’ well-being too. 

Babyganics research found that two out of three parents feel that ads aimed at them today don’t accurately represent parenthood. Moreover, 62% of parents said they felt pressured to live up to society’s unrealistic parenting ideals.

An agency statement describes the campaign as "a celebration of parents doing the best they can, every day."

To create the campaign, the brand and Red & Co. looked to parents for insight. The agency’s team itself consisted of a diverse group of parents—immigrant, adoptive, trans, same-sex, single parent and BIPOC. Red & Co. also examined parenting culture around the world and consulted with pediatricians and child psychologists. That led to the brand shift toward family-well being and addressing how moms and dads need care too. To cast the spot, the brand and agency team recruited real families in order to paint an authentic chaos-meets-joy portrait of parenthood.

"As we dug into the baby world, we found countless parents lamenting the perfectionistic culture of parenting in social media—perfect nurseries, perfect birthday parties, well-slept parents with nothing better to do than post perfect pictures of their perfect babies," the statement said. "This seemed like such a huge opportunity to connect meaningfully with families and caregivers—not just the perfect ones, but real parents of all genders, shapes, colors, means, and backgrounds."