Droga5 launched a series of new ads featuring the theme of acceptance as part of its ongoing “This is Wholesome” campaign for Honey Maid.
“Neighbors,” for example, tells the story of neighbors from different backgrounds whose families become friends thanks to their daughters. One woman, who wears a Hijab, explains that she used to be worried when leaving the house that people would stare at her. Her neighbor, a woman pictured staring out her blinds skeptically admits “I didn’t know anything about her culture, only what I saw in the news,” is able to overcome her ignorance when, as the first woman puts it, “our girls brought us together.” The two families are scene laughing outside, enjoying a snack built around Honey Maid as the scene draws to a close.
It’s a touching story of acceptance and the open-mindedness of children, even if some may question what exactly it has to do with the brand. That message, which gels well with the larger “This is Wholesome” campaign, is also a timely one, arriving during a primary season whose news cycle has been dominated by a certain hate-mongering candidate.
Other spots explore themes of acceptance in similar ways and are just as effective, if not more so. “Little Brother” is told from the perspective of a boy who explains that while other people may notice that he and his brother have different skin colors and biological parents, he doesn’t see him as an adopted brother at all, just as his little brother. The Spanish-language “Mis Hijos” might actually be the most touching of the bunch, as a father explains how he overcame his initial shock at discovering his son was gay to support him and his partner, saying he realizes he didn’t lose his son but now has two, adding that “any child would be lucky to have dads like you.” Another ad, “Husband” deals with a family accepting the reality of a husband/father returning home from war as a double amputee. The campaign also includes a “Wholesome Button” browser app which transforms new stories to ones of acceptance and positivity.
“We are watching society change over time, because we think it is important to be reflective of today’s world, and to be inclusive of a cross-section of those unique families that make up the American society,” Honey Maid equity brand manger Katrina Plummer told Adweek, when asked if the campaign was meant to be taken as commentary on the current political climate. “Honey Maid is acknowledging the changing family dynamic among our consumers and are excited about the opportunity for ‘This Is Wholesome’ to feature and celebrate real diverse families.”
“This latest chapter for Honey Maid is going one step further to celebrate their stories of acceptance and show how acceptance can foster love and friendship within families and among neighbors,” she added. “We tell four different stories of acceptance featuring five families—a traditional Hispanic father who found joy and love in accepting his gay son and son-in-law, a disabled veteran and wife that have come to accept their new post-war reality, a young boy who has accepted his adopted brother, and two neighboring families who have grown to realize they have more similarities than differences.”
Credits:
Client: Mondelēz International; Honey Maid
Campaign: “This Is Wholesome”
Title: “Little Brother,” “Neighbor,” “Husband,” “Mis Hijos”
Agency: Droga5
Creative Chairman: David Droga
Chief Creative Officer: Ted Royer
Executive Creative Director: Kevin Brady
Creative Directors: Devon Hong, Tara Lawall
Copywriter: German Rivera Hudders
Art Director: J.J. Kraft
Junior Art Director: Andrew Chin
Junior Copywriter: Sam Bauer
Chief Creation Officer: Sally-Ann Dale
Head of Broadcast Production: Ben Davies
Senior Broadcast Producer: Jennifer Chen
Global Chief Strategy Officer: Jonny Bauer
Strategy Directors: Katie Coane, Sam Matthews
Senior Strategist: Milla McPhee
Senior Communications Strategist: Taylor Hines
Social Communications Strategist: Whitney Brodribb
Group Account Director: Kelsey Robertson
Account Directors: Caitlin Chandler, Amanda Chandler
Account Manager: Jasmine McDavid
Associate Account Manager: Amy Rosenberg
Project Manager: Monique Lavie
Client: Mondelez International; Honey Maid
Vice President, Biscuits Equity: Jason Levine
Equity Brand Manager: Katrina Plummer
Senior Associate Brand Manager, Media and Content Associate: Emmett Schalle
Production Company: Public Record
Director: Galen Summer
Director of Photography: Zak Mulligan
Executive Producer: Jeremy Yaches
Producer: Elizabeth MacKenzie
Editing: Cosmo Street
Editor: Mark Potter
Assistant Editor: Eduardo Wong
Executive Producer: Maura Woodward
Producer: Luiza Naritomi
Postproduction: Switch
Executive Producer: Diana Dayrit
Flame Artist: Jon Magel
Color Grade: RCO
Colorist: Seth Ricart
Executive Producer: Marcus Lansdell
Music: Q Department
Sound: Sonic Union
Mixer: Rob McIver
Wholesome Button: Weber Shandwick
Executive Creative Director: Jim Paul
Creative Director: Jeff Immel
Associate Creative Director: Emma Arnold
Copywriter: Mikinzie Stuart
Junior Copywriter: Lucy Butka
Art Director: Irek Jania
Creative Technologists: Kevin Kilduff, Kedar Deshpande
Production Company: Driftlab
Account Executive, Vice President: Lauren Danis
Account Vice President: Caroline Lainio
Account Director: Andrea Clift