MILO and Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia search for the truth behind our children’s desire to be #1
Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia has created a social experiment for MILO that looks at why children have a desire to be No.1. For years MILO has held conversations with Malaysian moms about the best ways to raise children with the spirit of a champion. Through this the client and agency discovered that children pushed to always be the best in their chosen activity gave up faster when faced with setbacks. Is it that they lack the patience and determination to push through challenges and setbacks? Or is it our own unrealistic expectations as parents that ultimately set our children up for failure? With these questions in mind, Ogilvy created the MILO Social Experiment.
Ogilvy invited children aged 7-12 to stand up anywhere on a winners’ podium. Through this simple action, they manage to uncover real truths behind a child’s motivations. 81% spontaneously opted for the #1 spot. When asked why, they cited reasons from mothers giving them big hugs and kisses to threats of scoldings.
MILO found that they were not actually inspired by the passion to win, but the unpleasant consequences should they fail.
The concept of Tiger Mothers or Tiger Parenting is prevalent in many Asian societies. It is the notion is that parents should be strict, to properly foster a competitive spirit in children. But is an over emphasis on being #1 good for our children?
Through the Winner’s Podium experiment, MILO hope to create the realization that what our children need isn’t the constant push to excel, but the encouragement to not give up.
MILO want to spark awareness in mothers, to nurture their children to never give up. With this experiment and an influencer-led social media campaign leading to their main hub, they hope to share a few pointers with Moms on how to encourage their children to excel while always maintaining a healthy perspective.