JWT Singapore and Friso take moms on a journey

Friso’s new global campaign, created by JWT Singapore, is aimed squarely at a specific audience: progressive moms who want to encourage their child to explore the world and learn through experience.

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The TV portion of the campaign shows a mom clapping as her toddler falls backward onto her bottom on a sandy beach, then encouraging her to get up on her own without reaching to help her; another mom rolls in a pile of autumn leaves in the forest with her son, in a spontaneous moment of rough and tumble outdoor play.

The campaign, titled The Journey, marks a bold step away from the ground occupied by most formula ads, which typically play on the premise that a good mother wants her child to bring home the most A’s and the fewest colds – a theme that’s become almost formulaic in the infant milk category. Friso, the flagship formula brand of Dutch dairy multinational FrieslandCampina aims to appeal to mothers on a deeper, more emotional level.

“This campaign targets a very progressive kind of mother. These are not the kind of moms who hover over their child, pushing them to study hard so they get a good job later on, or admonishing them to be careful so they don’t scrape their knee,” says Peter Cheung, Regional Management Director at JWT Singapore. “These are active, hands-on, progressive moms who believe experience is a child’s best teacher.”

The campaign, which includes print, out of home and TV ads, has been tailored to different global markets. JWT Singapore created 60 versions of the television ad alone, to reflect local market needs, such as how much information consumers require on Friso’s ability to promote a healthy digestive system. In all versions, however, the broad focus is on forging an emotional connection with mothers.

The Journey will introduce Friso’s new packaging, which categorize the formula by different milestones, like “The Start”, “First Steps” and “Young Explorer”, instead of more traditional categories. Friso will launch a brand campaign later this year.

Friso developed its new strategy after months of intensive consumer research. “These are moms who don’t see motherhood as a chore or a job; instead, they want to experience the world together with their child. It’s a journey they want to enjoy, together,” Berndt Kodden, Global Category Director IFT at FrieslandCampina, which manufactures Friso. “We are positioning Friso as a brand that supports mothers in that goal.”