Brief:

• Shapermint has seen more than 7 million views of its #MakeTheCall social media campaign around Mother's Day, per an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer. The direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketplace for shapewear is running the effort, which urges social distancing, on Facebook and Instagram with the support of social influencers.
• Unlike past campaigns that have promoted its shapewear products, Shapermint is urging people to make video calls to their moms on Mother's Day instead of visiting them in person during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of the push, Shapermint created a video in the style of a public service announcement that shows six real women making heartfelt video calls that express their gratitude to their moms.
• Shapermint's brand ambassadors include actress Tori Spelling, reality-TV star Kira Girard and more than 100 influencers who are sharing the video with their followers. The women will post the calls they make to their moms in the lead-up to Mother's Day.

Insight:

Shapermint's campaign for Mother's Day is gaining traction with a socially conscious message as many U.S. regions consider steps to lift lockdowns that have kept families apart during the coronavirus pandemic.

Social distancing remains especially important for people whose mothers are elderly and at greater risk of developing more serious complications from the COVID-19 illness, a point that Shapermint aims to reinforce. As millions of people turn to video calling services like Zoom to connect with friends, family and work colleagues, Shapermint is urging them to use the same platforms to reach their moms while still protecting their health.

Shapermint is extending the reach of its campaign by working with a variety of influencers who are sharing the brand's message with their friends and followers. Influencer marketing continues to see strong growth as companies aim to reach younger consumers who are more likely than older generations to use social media and follow the accounts of key tastemakers.

Spending on influencer marketing was forecast to surge 50% to $9.7 billion this year from 2019, according to an Influencer Marketing Hub estimate published before the pandemic dampened marketing spending. Still, influencers have demonstrated their importance in distributing news and information about the pandemic. Engagement on influencer posts about the coronavirus had surpassed 2.9 billion impressions earlier this year, per CreatorIQ data cited by The New York Times.

Shapermint's socially conscious campaign is another sign of how brands have changed their messaging during the pandemic to be more altruistic and less focused on promoting their own products and services. Eighty-four percent of consumers want to see brands contribute to society and 80% want brands to show empathy, according to a Morning Consult survey of 2,200 U.S. adults during the pandemic.

That sentiment has led to a 41% surge in cause-related marketing, the Interactive Advertising Bureau found in a recent survey of advertising executives. Brands such as Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Nike and Oscar Mayer have revamped their marketing during the health crisis to match the public mood.