Brazilian Cosmetic Brand Boticário Captures Real Challenges on the Journey to Motherhood

Figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that one in six couples have difficulty conceiving. In a world with little readily available information, restricted access to treatment, and persistent silence around the process of attempting pregnancy, people from all sorts of backgrounds and family arrangements share the same story – the desire to become mothers. In light of this still under-discussed issue, O Boticário, a Brazilian cosmetics company, is addressing the journey of hopeful mothers in its 2025 Mother’s Day campaign. In one of its largest cinematic productions to date, Boticário moves to break the silence around the topic with a sensitive approach. The company partnered with B2Mamy to produce a four-episode video podcast featuring specialists and true stories, as well as a WhatsApp community for people trying to conceive.

On the heels of previous campaigns addressing sensitive, socially relevant topics involving motherhood, this year brings 'Plans', a four-minute short film by AlmapBBDO set to a version of The Cranberries’ 'Dreams,' which portrays the daily life of a woman imagining and planning a pregnancy while grappling with fertility issues in a series of poignant scenes. Each failed attempt at conception forces the main character to change course, reflecting a sobering statistic: while biological failures are equally distributed across genders (40% for men and women), the societal burden largely falls on women. But in the end, the message they need to hear is that they’re not alone and that love always has a plan – the concept running through the campaign as a whole. Produced by MyMama, the film, which debuted on prime-time TV, can be seen in full on YouTube and the brand’s social media.

Over the past three years, Boticário’s campaigns, produced alongside AlmapBBDO, have presented powerful, authentic narratives around motherhood, such as post-partum exhaustion, judgment of mothers of small children, and the turbulence of adolescence – a clear-eyed view of the challenges at the heart of the maternal journey. This year, the brand will portray the story of countless families by acknowledging the very real challenges that precede conception.

“Many women undergo the process of trying to conceive alone, which makes the pain of any eventual frustrations all the greater,” says Carolina Carrasco, director of branding and communications at the Boticário Group. “Our goal with this campaign is to lay out the reality of this journey, which so often doesn’t go as one might imagine – and where the first step is a woman’s dream of becoming a mother. When they encounter difficulties in becoming pregnant, many women internalise their frustration and guilt and suffer in silence. By starting the conversation, we’re able to affirm their experiences and lend support and visibility to all the people and families going through this process. The campaign film is just one imagination of the countless experiences out there; that’s why, beyond telling this one story, we’re introducing a whole variety of initiatives to support and inform women trying to conceive.”

After Boticário had settled on this powerful, little-discussed topic, the challenge of bringing it to life fell to AlmapBBDO. “This year, by addressing yet another sensitive social issue, we’re recognizing that motherhood begins with the desire to be a mother. The film makes it clear that these women aren’t alone, and that their maternal experiences come even before a positive test, as they think about names, imagine their lives together, and make plans. This is a powerful, supportive, empathetic tribute,” explains Camilla Massari, vice-president of business and client services at AlmapBBDO.

Information and care for people trying to conceive

Beyond the campaign itself, Boticário is offering trustworthy information and support to those trying to become pregnant. Alongside B2Mamy, the largest moms’ community in Brazil, the brand has provided educational content in the form of video podcasts, as well as a group on WhatsApp to serve as a safe, welcoming space for people to share their experiences. Designed to broaden the conversation, the video podcast will debut on April 18, with four 40-minute episodes in which guests discuss the main themes of the campaign. Excerpts from the program will also be published on Boticário’s official social media, as well as those of participants, boosting its reach and encouraging conversations on a variety of platforms.

With a proven track record of creating spaces for listening, belonging, and maternal empowerment, B2Mamy was crucial in ensuring that the narrative would be sensitive, representative, and have real-world impact. “A project that blends communications and social impact in practice is exactly what we believe can leave a positive legacy in the world,” says Dani Junco, the co-founder and CEO of B2Mamy. “It’s an honour to be a part of this, along with so many other women who care.”

The video podcast opens up space for an urgent conversation about the maternity journey and the challenges that women face as they try to conceive. In the first episode, “Trying to get pregnant. We need to talk about it – and why haven’t we before?,” host Dani Junco speaks to psychologist Liliana Seger and actress Mariana Rios about the social, emotional, and physiological aspects of a process all too often undergone in silence. The following episodes delve further into the topic: episode two addresses infertility, the role of the family and types of available treatment, with Dr. Melissa Cavagnoli and influencer Sheila Mattos, while episode three discusses social pressures and the importance of support networks with influencers Fernanda Terra and Aline Dini; and the fourth and final episode presents inspiring stories of maternity via adoption and egg donation, with Julyanne de Moraes and Dórian Perez broadening our perspective on the many paths to motherhood.

As an additional step, given how powerful it can be for women in similar circumstances to support one another, Boticário inaugurated a free WhatsApp group for people trying to conceive, with content curated by B2Mamy. The group, which can accommodate up to 200 participants, will be a safe space for conversation, active listening, and mutual support. Users can enter via a landing page, and the group will include daily interaction led by the brand, aimed at making the experience supportive and informative. This initiative arose from the desire to create a real support network where women trying to conceive can feel understood, supported, and, above all, less alone in this process.
“The WhatsApp support group and video podcast series with B2Mamy are key steps toward taking an invisible topic and making it the centre of the conversation,” says Carolina Carrasco. “That’s how we see our role, and we’re creating authentic campaigns for Mother’s Day and other special dates that start important conversations. These issues still aren’t as widely discussed as they should be, especially by brands.”

Real women, real experiences

To be the face of its social media campaign, Boticário invited Mariana Rios, ensuring an authoritative voice on the issue, and one that could speak to a wider audience. Recently, Rios opened up about her experience attempting to conceive, opening up a conversation that allowed countless women to feel supported and seen, given that the issue tends to be practically invisible. “Mariana Rios had such a sensitive approach to the topic, given her perspective. That’s why we saw her as the ideal person to empower and represent so many women in the same situation,” says Carol Carrasco.

Beyond the campaign, with its online and offline initiatives, the brand implemented a 360° strategy with a squad of influencers who are currently attempting to conceive or have been through the process, in order to make the conversation all the more powerful.