Natalist Is 'Always in Awe' of Women's Reproductive Journeys in Striking New Ad
Female reproductive brand Natalist wants to celebrate every aspect of a woman's path to motherhood—the good, the challenging, the highs and lows—while remaining "always in awe" of what their bodies are capable of.
A 60-second ad from Preacher accomplishes all that, using both UGC and moments captured by photographer Brianna Roye, coupled with a spoken-word poem from Jae Nichelle.
"I am in awe of you," begins Nichelle. "Awestruck by your body, awestruck by all the things it can do. So let's take a moment to celebrate all the moments." There's real-life, raw images of childbirth, breastfeeding, pumping, IVF injections, C-section scars, stretch marks juxtaposed with tender moments with their babies.
The longform ad runs on Natalist's social channels, and a 30-second ad that met network standards—IVF injections and breast content were removed—runs on network, digital and OTT.
We spoke with Aisha Hakim, Ryan Durr and Madelyn Wigle at Preacher (Hakim has since moved to 72andSunny), along with Jenifer Dasho, CMO of Everly Health and general manager of Natalist, about censorship, the creative process and why now was the time for Natalist's first campaign.
Muse: Talk about the creative process in bringing these moments to life for the film.
Aisha Hakim and Ryan Durr, associate creative directors: We pulled from our various personal experiences with postpartum depression, struggles with endometriosis, hysterectomy and IVF, and used this as our guiding light for those lesser-telegraphed reproductive moments. We wanted to elevate all those moments—even the moments that maybe don't feel like a moment. Collectively, the creative team arrived at "Always in Awe" after writing a two-page spoken-word poem that acted as a love letter to the marvels of the lived female experience and reproductive system.
Why now for Natalist to launch this campaign?
Jenifer Dasho: We decided to launch "Always in Awe" at a time when women are navigating a complex healthcare system. As a reproductive healthcare brand, we felt that the industry could benefit from the realism behind speaking to women authentically beyond the end goal of pregnancy. "Always in Awe" is meant to celebrate every stage and moment of authentic reproductive journeys—not just the glossy, picturesque ones.
Tell us about the challenges of bringing this campaign to air.
Dasho: "Always in Awe" faced scrutiny from major TV networks for its "provocative" creative direction as it relates to a woman's reproductive journey. Everyday activities and experiences such as breastfeeding, pumping, IVF injections and birth were all areas we were told to cut back on as part of the review process. Every woman's reproductive journey is different, and you should be able to see your experience represented when you turn on the TV or scroll through social media.
Madelyn Wigle, associate strategy director: Preacher and Natalist had the shared desire to not just address the issues of the past, but to really start constructing the future we believe women deserve to be living in. Simply telegraphing reality isn't enough—we wanted to also inspire awe, sparking visions of a future where women's experiences are not just normalized, they're lionized.
