When parenting becomes child’s play: Nestle Chuckie Buddy TVC
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Please note: This is NOT a paid blog post. I am not in any way connected with Nestle Philippine or the ad agency that crafted the campaign. I just happen to connect personally with the Nestle Chuckie Buddy TVC, so I thought I’d blog about it.
Television ads that celebrate a mother’s love and sacrifice for her child are so overdone they hardly move me anymore. Onthe surface, Nestle’s TV campaign for the Chuckie Buddy chocolate drink might seem like another recycled “there’s no lovelike a mother’s love” sentiment to toss onto the cliche pile. But the Chuckie Buddy TVC gives the familiar mother-and-child theme a fresh twist by slipping a heart-tugging message: Your kids are only young once. Why not join them in this fantastic experience?
Nestle’s Chuckie TVC takes us through evocative vignettes of mother and son engaged in all manner of active, imaginative play. First, they are knights slaying a fearsome dragon as they gallop away on their trusty steed. A chalk-drawn likeness of the fire-breathing mythical monster lie vanquished on the pavement. Next, a pint-sized scientist laughs triumphantly as the robot he’s built comes to life. The robot is a crude but creative contraption made from cardboard boxes and bicycle lights, held together by glue and masking tape. Then they are fearless aviators charting a course in the sky as they navigate a two-seater plane fashioned out of cardboard and electric-fan blade. At the park, Mommy Wizard commands a geyser to burst forth from the concrete depths while her son, the imperious king, beholds the towering column of water in awe.Together they read a book while lying on their stomachs on a picnic blanket. While hanging clothes out to dry, the adoring mother indulges her son who has put on the laundry basket as a helmet.
The Nestle Chuckie Buddy ad does not spare us the thankless drudgery of parenthood: the sleepless nights, the ceaseless cleaning up, and the curious glances from strangers who might question our life choices. We see the mother yawning as she puts the finishing touches on yet another set of costumes. In another scene, she is patiently washing off green coloring from her son’s body, quite possibly the aftermath of a Hulk play-acting episode. At a grocery store checkout counter, two black ninjas pay for their purchase, to the bemusement of the store cashier.
The spot’s piece de resistance is the child’s ode to his mother. Set to the music of Billy Joel’s “She’s Always a Woman,” the lyrics speak of the child’s glowing pride in having a mother who happens to be his best buddy, too. The spot culminates with mother and son, caped crusading duo, flying to the top of a hillock overlooking the city. They hold each other as they admire the setting sun cast a pale orange glow on the twilight sky. Closing the uplifting scene is the tagline: “Minsan lang sila bata. Sabayan mo na.”
As a parent to a boy with a peculiar brand of role-play, I can totally relate. I’ve lost count of the number of times my son and I have reenacted the lightsaber duels in all six Star Wars movies, accompanied with the proper dialogues. I stick to our silly morning rituals, where he pretends to be either a baby shark or Waddles, the pet pig in the Disney animated series Gravity Falls, and I’m either the mommy shark or Mabel. And despite cringe-inducing stares from strangers, I willingly let my third grader, all four feet six inches of him, ride the grocery cart and pretend like he’s driving it while I push him down the aisles. Hokey as this may sound, it’s moments like these when I feel like I’m seven again, when I couldn’t give a hoot about what others thought of my stupid homemade Wonder Woman costume.
Ordinarily I am wary of ads that blatantly manipulate my emotions. But Nestle Chuckie Buddy TVC doesn’t feel like it’s calculated to wring maximum emotions out of easy, soft-hearted targets. Sure, it tugs at our heartstrings. It may even leave us with a twinge of guilt. But it also rewards us this little takeaway about what it takes to create happy childhood memories and raise a child with the confidence to take on the world: a touch of creativity, a dash of imagination, and a faithful companion through life’s most magical ride.
I leave you now with the lyrics to the song featured in the ad. Feel free to get all choked up as you sing it softly to yourself. 🙂
She can slay all the dragons
She’s got lasers for eyes,
She’s my ace co-pilot
when I conquer the skies;
She can cast magic spells
with the greatest of ease,
She may be my Mom
But she’s always a buddy to me.
She’s my captain, my hero
She’s as strong as can be,
She may be my Mommy
But she’s always a buddy to me.
Ganda ng ads ..like pata ang soundtrack
One could never go wrong with Billy Joel’s music.
hello. may i ask what’s the title of the song used in the tvc? the original song, i mean. thank you so much 🙂
“She’s Always a Woman,” by Billy Joel.
Its always touch in my heart as a mom with only kid. Hindi ko ito na experience in my childhood super strict nang mom ko. But now mommy na ako. Many are saying were like a buddy… Ika nga habang bata pa sila sabayan mo na.
My Mom was strict, too, and was never openly affectionate. She was from a different generation kasi, and most of the other mothers from her generation were not touchy-feely. There were very few exceptions, though.
Thanks for this blog post! Listening to the ad on repeat via YouTube while reading the lyrics you provided makes my eyes wet.
It is important that we praise these kind of ads so they’ll continue to make more.
I’m a big fan of ads that show ingenuity and have a compelling narrative, memorable tagline and catchy jingle/soundtrack.
Sadly, I never experienced being a child with this kind of mom that can do all the shits mentioned there but hearing and watching the commercial makes me hope that one day I can be that kind of mother. Thumbs up at this ads.
Awww. I’m sure you’ll be a great mother.
Hi.
Me too. If God wills that I be a mom. I will do the same thing.
I saw myself and my son Moises on this commercial <3 <3
Nakaka-relate,’no?
Its just like when i was a kid. It makes me more realize how lucky i am having her in mylife. Loveyou ma. Goodjob for this ads.
You’re lucky, indeed!
A very great and touching TVC. I really watch it every now and then. It surely brings tears to my eyes! Me and my son are like this specially during weekends. No need to show all the vitamins and minerals that you can get from chocolate drink, but Chuckie became a medium to keep the bonding alive. Thanks Nestle for reminding us that thru our busy days (at work, at home and in business), we should never miss a time with our children… True enough, minsan lang sila bata. Good job to your ad agency! I’ll vote for yours!
Yes, it’s a brilliantly executed concept. I believe their agency is McCann Erickson.
I really love this chuckie buddy commercial. Everytime my son hears it he keeps on singing and saying iloveyou mama… it really melts my heart. 😊😙
Oh, it melts my heart, too. 🙂
Thanks for the lyrics. I really live this song dahil kapag naririnig xa ng anak ko kht may ginagwa xa ititigil nya mapanuod at mapakinggan nya lang. Super ganda talaga…
My son loves the song, too!
It has a good message. That pulled my heart open… It reminds me my childhood and my mom who always here for me …:)
You had a very happy childhood. 🙂
I really got interested the first time I heard dt commercial… I made an effort to know its lyrics & share it to my pupils… (tnx for the person u shared it!!!) ‘coz they really love it… thanks for the people behind that brilliant commercial… YOU DID A GREAT JOB!!!… God bless u more!!!…
Me and my son a 7 yrs old were enjoying watching this ads I was teary-eyed but when we look at each other he got tears too ,end up hugging and pretending were flying together, nice ads so touching
Every time this ad played at the tv commercial. I used to remember my mom and miss her.im now 21 yrs old and only son in the family. Tnx nestle
What’s the name of the mother there in the commercial? Thank you! 🙂
it hit my heart, being a mother and a grandmother I do the same with my grandchildren, I can sing Dr mcstuffins theme and Dibo song and I can name all Thomas and Friend character. love u nestle
I love this ad and it put tears on my eyes. I’m a single mom and have a 3-1/2 year old son. I always wish I could be like her as a mom. A cool mom and a buddy to him.
Pag pinapalatastas toh, napapatigil ako. kc ang ganda ng lyrics. hahaha
I wish the song was longer. As in full song.
I really,really love this chuckie buddy commercial.Everytime my son hears it,he keeps on smiling & hug me tight..,it really melts my heart.=)
Jingle lang po yan.. Pero di po si Billy Joel ang kumanta dun sa Commercial.. Siya yung kumanta nung version niya..
Sadly, I can’t find this commercial on youtube, anyone knows the link or title of the commercial?
Nestle Chuckie Buddy TVC:
https://youtu.be/qmdEQ6eW39s
Me and my kids enjoy very much watching this ad on tv…the first time I saw the ad, it touched my heart, wishing that I can be the best Nanang in this world to my kids. Great job NESTLE. KUDOS!
Every time my 3 years old daughter see this commercial on tv she got emotional and running after me to give me a big hug…I don’t know why , maybe she was touched by the message and felt the love of mom to her child and that she is very thankful to me…:) Congrats Nestle!
. Nice song 🙂
i love the message and the tune of the song. someday,,, i will be a great mom and a buddy to my kids. 🙂
Beautiful ad. This is to the tune of She’s Always A Woman right? Never did I get to experience this with my mother, but I did with my dad. (They’re separated). They should make a song for single fathers with daughters/sons next time 🙂
I agree. Fathers can be (and are, as I’ve personally witnessed among male friends) as doting and devoted as mothers are to their children.
parang nakakaiyak yung kanta na yan
I really like this TVC. <3
My son liked the ad too. Everytime he sees it he always say it’s like the way we were. Nice ad.
Yes, it’s a lovely ad. It resonates with many parents and children.
am a man and it made me cry. i miss my mom. thanks