Yarra Trams and The Australian Government shut the PURE MAMA campaign down and here's why...
So, here’s something that blows our mind. In our attempt to normalize both the good and hard aspects of pregnancy via our campaign, the #pregnancyparadox, Yarra Trams, which is owned by the Australian Government, have taken down our campaign across Trams in Melbourne.
We understand that a complaint was put forward around us showing a 'defeated' (their words, not ours) pregnant woman without providing a direct support line (see photo below). What is incredibly disappointing, is that that gave us no option to amend the creative or to add a call to action for support. We would never ever want a women to not feel supported. That is the antithesis of who we are, not just as a brand that stands for connection and self-love but as women that have intimately experienced many of these paradoxal thoughts during our pregnancies. And yet, they took it down without warning (it was printed and paid for by the way) and didn’t tell us why...until we really pushed for a reason.
So, here we are, striving to normalize what's considered normal, and yet we are the ones being shut down for bringing to light something that could potentially help women and their mental health. Not to mention, the awareness from others in society who are potentially on their way to work/home via a tram, of what women may be going through when they are pregnant.
We launched this campaign to help break down the societal expectations around pregnancy being ‘perfect’ when this is simply not the case for so many. Experiencing these conflicting thoughts feelings and emotions is all a NORMAL part of the journey and we should be able to talk about it.
Our campaign addresses a wide range of topics, all of which are crucial in helping women feel less alone in their thoughts on their pregnancy journey. We absolutely support seeking professional help if your mental health is deteriorating so we are not negating this is any way, but we know that may not be the case for all and if we can do anything to help women not get to this point, then we will!
With the hundreds of women that have already come forward to support the pregnancy paradox campaign and these important conversations, it infuriates us that when we are genuinely trying to help and create change, that we get shut down.
Ultimately, without driving for change, this juxtaposition of thoughts, aka the #pregnancyparadox remains unspoken, unseen, and unheard out of fear of speaking up. When nobody discusses them, nobody understands that they are part of the normal experience, leaving individuals to stew in their own thoughts, which can, in fact, escalate into mental health concerns.
For reference these are the executions that were removed across Trams in Melbourne.
We cannot stress enough that if you are suffering from anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts during pregnancy or post-partum then we recommend seeking professional help.
New Zealand:
Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
Australia:
Call the national PANDA support line on 1300 726 306.
In an emergency, call Triple Zero.