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

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.

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

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