Facebook captures real-life quarantine births to promote its parent support hub

Company teamed with Droga5 and Martin de Thurah on film also featuring a woman born during 1918 influenza pandemic

Published On
May 08, 2020

Editor's Pick

Just ahead of Mother’s Day, Facebook highlights hope in a new spot centered on expectant moms and babies born during pandemics—including this one.

The company's film created in partnership with Droga5 captures scenes of births from yesteryear and present day, with narration from Anita Sampson, a 100-year-old woman who was born during the influenza pandemic of 1918. 

“I was born during a quarantine,” she says. “I don’t remember it of course, but from my mother it was a very difficult time. She told me it was just you and me for many months. But she wasn’t alone. Everybody tried to do what they could to help. But she was also a very strong person. And then it was over. We came out into a new world, my mother and me. We can get through this. We all have the strength to do it. I’m 100 years old, and you just take care of that little miracle.”

Throughout, the spot features archival photos of babies born during the 1918 crisis, social posts and scenes of women who gave birth over the last few weeks as well as footage of expectant moms in the throes of labor. 

Those featured in the spot include Denmark-based fashion and design professional Mona Omar, who is expecting a son, and Emma Sophie Næsby Petersen, who recently had a baby girl. 

To capture the film’s original footage, Droga5 worked with director Martin de Thurah and his directing partner Judith Lansade. The pair worked remotely with mothers and their partners to capture scenes from homes and hospitals. 

“A million new mothers have given birth during the pandemic, and often alone, without their partners or families alongside them,” said Droga5 Global CEO Sarah Thompson in a statement. “As a mother myself, I can't imagine how these women felt. This Mothers’ Day, Facebook wanted to stand in solidarity with all new moms.” 

The new film introduces Facebook’s new Parent Support Hub, which aims to connect parents to key resources to help them navigate through coronavirus and beyond. 

It follows Facebook’s previous coronavirus ad from Droga5, a poetic film highlighting the brand’s Community Help platform.
 

Credits

Date
May 08, 2020
Client :
Facebook
Agency :
Droga5-New York
Director :
Martin de Thurah
Creative Chairman :
David Droga
Global Chief Creative Officer :
Neil Heymann
Co-Chief Creative Officer :
Felix Richter
Co-Chief Creative Officer :
Tim Gordon
Global Head of Art :
Alexander Nowak
Creative Director :
Thom Glover
Creative Director :
Kia Heinnen
Creative Director :
Martin Baker
Creative Director :
Dustin Tomes
Creative Director :
Jono Paull
Senior Art Director :
Bastien Grisolet
Copywriter :
Chris Brailey
Copywriter :
Curtis McDonald
Design Director :
Maria Wan
Senior Designer :
Eli Hochberg
Motion Graphics Designer :
Michael Gaynor
Motion Graphics Designer :
JungEun Han
Chief Creation Officer :
Sally-Ann Dale
Director of Film Production :
Jesse Brihn
Executive Producer Film :
Mike Hasinoff
Producer Film :
Carlos Valdivia
Associate Producer Film :
Robert Matuluko
Senior Music Supervisor :
Mike Ladman
Global Chief Strategy Officer :
Jonny Bauer
Head of Strategy :
Harry Roman-Torres
Strategy Director :
Cathy Song
Senior Strategist :
Emily Pfitzinger
Group Communications Strategy Director :
Yan Wang
Communications Strategy Director :
Patrick Fahey
Senior Communications Strategist :
Chris Wiegand
Group Data Strategist Director :
Wendy Kong
Senior Data Strategist :
Daria Koren
Managing Director :
Dan Gonda
Group Account Director :
Susan Pratchett
Account Director :
Gabrielle Barbuto
Account Supervisor :
Chelsea Elliott
Account Manager :
Roxy Alberts
Group Project Manager :
Tessa Muchura
Senior Project Manager :
Simon Jolly
Director of Business Affairs :
Dan Simonetti
Senior Business Manager :
Paul Van Dorpe
Traffic Manager :
Wendy Kaplan
CMO :
Antonio Lucio
Vice President,Corporate Brand Marketing :
Kate Rouch
Director Brand Strategy :
Andrew Stirk
Group Creative Director :
Thomas Markham
Creative Director :
Zach Stubenvoll
Motion Designer :
Jerod Wanner
Designer :
Jordan Honnette
Global Director of Brand Marketing :
Jasmine Summerset-Karcie
Director Brand Programs :
Mayumi Matsuno
Marketing Program Manager :
Kaitlin Giannetti
Brand Marketing Manager :
Katie Secrest
Brand Strategist :
Josh Cleveland
Marketing Insights Director :
Rick Malins
Marketing Research Manager :
Jenn Dahm
Marketing Researcher :
Amy Huang
Marketing Researcher :
Lia Breunig
Director Communications Planning :
Radhika Narang
Communication Planning Manager :
Dani Nichols
Brand Communications Lead :
Lisa Stratton
Executive Producer :
Julian Katz
Production Company :
Epoch
Production Company :
Bacon
Director :
Martin de Thurah
Director of Photography :
Kasper Tuxen
Executive Producer Epoch :
Mellisa Culligan
Producer Bacon :
Samuel Cantor
Research & Documentary Interviews :
Judith Lansade
Documentarian :
Pejk Malinovski
Junior Producer :
Laura Bohse-Valentiner
1st AD :
Stefan Danholm
Production Designer :
Mads Jørgensen
Production Designer :
Wonderland
Editorial :
Rock Paper Scissors
Editor :
Mikkel EG Nielsen
Assistant Editor :
Alex Liu
Managing Director/Executive Producer :
Eve Kornblum
Producer :
Lisa Barnable
Telecine :
Company 3
Senior Colorist :
Tom Poole
Producer :
Alexandra Lubrano
Color Assist :
Jenny Montgomery
Post Production :
Blacksmith
VFX 2D Lead :
Iwan Zwarts
Executive Producer :
Charlotte Arnold
VFX Senior Producer :
Bindy St. Leger
Compositor :
Ben Kwok
Compositor :
Robert Bruce
Compositor :
Jacob Slutsky
Compositor :
Daniel Morris
Compositor :
Yebin Ahn
Sound Design & Music :
Ballad
Sound Design :
Adrian Aurelius
Sound Post Producer :
Gregers Maersk Moeller
Music Supervisor :
Adrian Aurelius
Music Supervisor :
Gregers Maersk Moeller
Music :
‘Peace Piece’ by Bill Evans
Arrangement :
Ballad
Mix :
Wave Studios
Sound Designer/Mixer :
Aaron Reynolds
Executive Producer :
Vicky Ferraro
Assistant Engineer :
Isaac Matus

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