Becel is continuing its “The Heart Truth” initiative with the Heart and Stroke Foundation for a sixth year, with its new “Encourage a Mom” campaign that urges Canadian women and moms to take care of themselves for a change, and aims to raise awareness about the risks of heart disease and stroke.

Targeting women aged 35 to 45, the campaign features a 60-second “Love Letters” TV spot that was created by enlisting the help of kids at an Ottawa public school, who surprised their mothers with heartfelt letters. The spot will air on conventional and specialty channels nationally, including City, W Network and Canal Vie. It will also run in cinemas, and online through AOL’s GoViral network and Visible Measures’ network.

With media by Mindshare and creative by DDB, the campaign also features a customizable online video called “It’s Ok Mom,” which allows users to share a message encouraging their moms to focus on their own health. The video is available at the Encourage a Mom microsite. Additionally, the campaign will use digital banner ads on Facebook and YouTube.

Margaret McKellar, marketing manager, spreads, Unilever Canada, tells MiC that this media strategy offered the brand the widest reach, but adds that the new element of getting people to send messages on the brand’s behalf was the best way to engage moms.

“We felt it was important to evolve the campaign to deliver the message through the voices that matter to women most: their loved ones,” she says.

The campaign is in market until May.

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