• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 29, 2024

Sending mom flowers this Mother’s Day? Probably, yes. But ad campaigns from Teleflora and DoorDash show just how different that can be.

Both companies are launching new marketing efforts as Mother’s Day season kicks off in earnest. The National Retail Federation recently released the spending forecast for the holiday, predicting that America will pour $33.5 billion into celebrating Mom this year, making it the second highest on record. And – as ever – flowers are the most popular gift, chosen by 74% of the people in this year’s survey. Mother’s Day, often called the Super Bowl of the floral industry, is expected to garner $3.2 billion in flower sales this year.

Teleflora is marking this year’s event with a campaign that celebrates who Mom was before she had you, back when she was wild, willful and possibly jumping out of airplanes. The campaign, “MotHER: A Teleflora Love Story,” stresses that while people feel parenthood is an essential part of their identity, it’s important to focus on pivotal moments that shaped them ahead of motherhood. “Before she was a mother, she was her,” the ads explain.

“The demands of motherhood can be all-consuming at times, making it challenging to have a sense of personal identity,” says Danielle Mason, vice president of marketing at Teleflora, in the announcement. “This campaign reminds us to celebrate every magnificent part of Mom – who she is now and the past that shaped her.” 

The ad, created by the Wonderful Agency, Teleflora’s in-house agency, runs on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Media buys also include connected TV, digital, and mobile.

The campaign also includes a contest on Instagram, with people building their own Reels using the company’s template. Twenty winners will get Teleflora bouquets.

DoorDash is going a different way, targeting zillenials missing their mom. Working with DEPT, the digital ad agency, it cooked up a stunt to send four lucky mom-sick young adults home. Videos caught them ringing their mother’s doorbells just as Mom was video-chatting with the DoorDash team about what their far-off child means to them.

The content series stars Allison Kuch, the TikTok personality, and the cast of the "Basement Yard "podcast. They ask and answer deep (and occasionally awkward) mom/child questions, like “What’s my worst texting habit?” and “What did I do to deserve flowers?”

The effort also includes an AR lens that allows people to connect to the moms in their lives, prompting them with the same questions.

“At DoorDash, we’re always looking for unique ways to help our customers build meaningful connections with their loved ones during the moments that matter,” says Mariota Essery, the delivery brand’s executive creative director, in the announcement. “Whether that’s helping you find the perfect bouquet to show Mom you’re thinking of her or creating engaging ways to get to know her better, we know moms are a gift that should be celebrated.”

The DoorDash campaign is scheduled to run through mid-May on the company’s owned channels and via paid social media.

The NRF predicts total spending will fall just short of last year’s $35.7 billion. Conducted with Prosper Insights & Analytics, the survey finds that 84% intend to mark the day somehow, often with cards and gifts for women in their lives with mom-like influence. On average, those celebrating will likely spend just $254 per person. Those between 35 and 44 are the biggest spenders, with an average budget of $346.