Media campaign: The Best Gift

Client: L.A. Care Health Plan
Title: “The Best Gift: Unboxed”
Goal: Reduce Black maternal and infant mortality

I have been working in the Black maternal and infant health space for ten years, starting with a YouTube series where I interviewed parents and health providers across the country about their birth and breastfeeding journeys and later a feature documentary on the gaps in breastfeeding outcomes for Black mothers. So much has improved in that time, there are more birth workers of color, more baby friendly hospitals, and more breastfed babies, yet the mortality rates for Black moms and infants has not budged. While ending structural racism in the US is the obvious long term goal, an immediate solution is to shift culture around how communities support Black birthing families today.

Rather than focus on the morbid aspects of maternal and infant mortality, these spots are upbeat and model helpful actions that any family member or close friend could take to alleviate the burden of “birthing while Black.” The campaign is modeled after the popular trend of baby shower unboxing videos posted by social media influencers, with each expecting mom recognizing that the most unorthodox but life-saving baby shower gift she receives is really “the best gift.” Each spot addresses one of the three leading causes of maternal and infant mortality:

• Limited post partum care

• Delayed recognition of complications

• Chronic stress

The campaign invites audiences to consider gifting a session with a birth worker in lieu of more traditional but similarly priced baby shower gifts like diaper cakes, strollers, or bouncers

/Press/ Press Release from L.A. Care Health Plan
/Website/ Official Campaign Site