The 2021 Webby Awards: Viral Video

According to McKinsey & Company, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic mothers are 1.5 times more likely than fathers to be spending an additional three or more hours a day on housework, childcare and virtual schooling—the equivalent of 20 more hours a week. And the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington D.C. reports that 22% have dropped out of the workforce due to the increased demands from home.

When the world has changed and life along with it, a mother must dig deep and push through with all she’s got, even when it feels impossible. This is when a mama shows the strength it takes to be a mother. And, that’s Motherly.

“This is: Motherhood during a pandemic” demonstrated that power, and went viral.

Watch the viral video here:

Certain to touch the soul of anyone who views it, this video is destined not only to define a moment in time when the world changed in ways unimaginable, but indefinitely, as mamas always rise to the challenge. This video turns a personal lens on the profound moments of motherhood that tax patience, challenge stamina and define what it means to be a mama. Viewers can see themselves in this video, and they are stronger for it, fortifying themselves with the knowledge that they are not alone.

This video was written and produced by moms and for moms, offering support and representation for the collective challenges of parenthood in general, and mothering in a pandemic in particular.

In only nine short months, it has amassed a viewership that far exceeds the resources employed in its making.

• It has been viewed more than 2 million times.

• It has reached 4.6 million people.

• It has garnered more than 161,000 social engagements (comments, likes, and shares).

More than the sum of its parts, this video provides an overall experience that transcends its concept, writing, execution—and has become an anthem. The moment of crescendo, when score and image combine to provide a sense of relief and encouragement, validates and empowers mamas. Through the powerful lens of motherhood, our content generates mom-to-mom sharing and valuable conversation, unlike any other brand.

Since Motherly’s inception five years ago, we have connected with our audience through one billion video views and earned 3M social followers. And from January 2020 through December 2020 alone, we amassed over 211M views and 12.5M engagements.

Entirely sourced with footage submitted from our community, this video showcases the authentic reality of their daily lives as mothers and women in those raw moments that test them. Powerful and poignant, this share-worthy video is an amalgam of lives being lived, stitched together to depict the emotional reality of mamas taking care of their families during the pandemic. Our innovative strategy, creativity and execution combine to succeed at truly making our community feel that we see and understand them.

The ability to create a cohesive and clear representation of a collection of user generated content is a testament to the Motherly team’s technical skills and ability to seamlessly provide a memorable viewing experience. That which unfolds, formerly unseen and unspoken, focuses our attention on what is bottomless, universal, and memorable. A compelling example of authenticity, this video carries you further into the heroic world of mamas, stays with you, and helps you recognize the heroism in your own life.

Through the powerful lens of motherhood, our content generates mom-to-mom sharing and valuable conversation, unlike any other brand. To date, in addition to reaching this many listeners, from our other media, Motherly also has garnered:

• 11M+ monthly pageviews
• 31M+ monthly video views across Facebook (+YoY and MoM) and O+O
• 3K+ Likes, shares, comments per average Motherly Facebook post
• +20% MoM social engagement, per post
• enjoys 3X the video engagement of pregnancy and parenting competitors

and is #1 in weekly Instagram follower growth in the parenting category.

Our unique emotional content connects with our community of engaged Millennial moms to deliver results that empower and inspire. Our clean and direct approach to content and how it is presented is a truly branded aesthetic that is fresh, clear and direct, always honest and enlightening, and always with the heart in mind.

Motherly