Dear Future Mom

For the third consecutive year, Saatchi & Saatchi is launching a campaign for CoorDown in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day, which will occur on March 21st. The theme for this year’s World Down Syndrome Day is “the right to happiness and well-being of people with Down syndrome,” with the goal being to “promote a culture of diversity and true integration into society, especially in the worlds of school and work.”

Saatchi & Saatchi’s campaign was inspired by an email that an pregnant mother, expecting a child with Down’s syndrome, sent to CoorDown. “What kind of life will my child have?” the mother asks.

To respond to the expectant mother, and others like her, Saatchi & Saatchi filmed responses from 15 individuals with Down syndrome from across Europe, in their native languages. Through the CoorDown YouTube channel this group replies to the mother’s question, answering that her son can expect a happy life, just like theirs. “He’ll be able to hug you,” says one man; “He’ll be able to talk and tell you he loves you,” promises another girl. They explain that the woman can expect her son to go to school, and later get a job and be able to take her out to dinner on his salary. “Sometimes it will be difficult. Very difficult. Almost impossible.” the group admits, “But isn’t it like that for all mothers?” It’s a really touching video, and a perfect encapsulation of this year’s World Down Syndrome Day theme.

This year, CoorDown Onlus — Coordinator of the National Association of people with Down syndrome — will lead “an international project which includes ten associations from nine different countries: Italy, France, Spain, Croatia, Germany, England, Russia, United States and New Zealand.” The “Dear Future Mom” also has a social component, built around the official hashtag #DearFutureMom.

As mentioned, the campaign marks the third consecutive year Saatchi & Saatchi has teamed up with CoorDown. Their previous two campaigns met with tremendous success, including 11 Lions at the last two Cannes International Festivals of Creativity and a Grand Prix at ADCE. Stick around for credits after the jump.