Responses by Gary Mueller, executive creative director, Serve Marketing
Background: The ultimate goal of the “Strong Baby” campaign was to reverse the skyrocketing infant mortality crisis that has plagued Milwaukee for two decades. Previous efforts done by the Health Department were largely ignored and our targets—inner city and low-income parents—were not getting the message and we needed a more dramatic and memorable way to increase their knowledge. We also had help from photographer Nick Collura for the photoshoots.
Reasoning: We wanted to change the discussion about infant mortality, by showing the outcomes of expectant moms who live healthier lifestyles—and have stronger babies. To get this message across in a surprising and visually impactful way, the creative team conceptualized playful scenarios in which babies performed impossible feats of strength.
Challenges: Each ad required placing each baby in a specific pose and occasionally exhibiting a specific expression. The babies weren’t always cooperative, which led to extensive retouching of body parts or faces to compensate for what wasn’t caught in camera.
Favorite details: It was especially rewarding to be able to capture the true essence of each baby. By having parents assist our “baby wranglers,” we were able to capture the spirit of each child—from a coy look to a joyful laugh or a disdainful stare to a smile from ear to ear. These were the little things that helped give each baby, and each ad, its personality.
Anything new: It was eye-opening to see the kind of responses we got from mothers who really wanted their baby to be the next “Strong Baby.” They were only paid a small fee, but for them it was more about the pride of having their babies seen by a large audience. Many of the moms didn’t mind changing their schedules for casting sessions and helped the babies cooperate for the photographer.
Specific demands: Working with babies is always a challenge. Any schedule you’ve set up for the shoot day can be thrown out entirely depending on the baby’s mood. Halfway through the first baby, we knew that in addition to being nimble, we had to work extremely quickly. Even with the most agreeable babies, when they were done, they were done. We were exhausted, but very happy with the results.
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