No Filter, Just Facts: Rascals’ Raw Take On Parenting + Mental Health

Parenting isn’t always pastel onesies and perfect Instagram moments—and Rascals, the premium diaper brand founded by parents, isn’t pretending otherwise. In honour of Mental Health Awareness Month, we sat down with the team behind Rascals’ powerful new We Get It campaign, a refreshingly honest response to the emotional toll of modern parenting. From sleepless nights to invisible labour, the campaign ditches the sugarcoating and offers something rare in the baby aisle: empathy. In this Q&A, Will Harvey, Rascals Marketing Director opens up about why it’s time to support parents with more than platitudes—and how they’re backing their message with action. —Noa Nichol

What inspired the launch of the “We Get It” campaign—and why now?
Was there a specific moment, trend, or conversation that made Rascals realize it was time to address the emotional toll of parenting more directly?

Rascals was created for modern parents – those navigating the enormous emotional shift of becoming a parent, while continuing to juggle work, life, and everything in between.

That’s why we launched “We Get It” – our promise to parents that we understand and we’re on their side. Alongside making great baby products that work, parents could do with a helping hand, an empathetic supporter, someone who gets it. We understand the highs, the lows, and all the in-between moments of parenting, and we’re here to help make their life a little easier.

Diaper ads have traditionally leaned toward polished and idealistic—why did Rascals decide to take such a raw, unfiltered approach?
How has this shift resonated with your audience?

Rascals was founded nine years ago by a mom of four in New Zealand, whereas brands like Pampers and Huggies were born in a time when parenting looked very different (think 1961 and 1978). 

We wanted to speak to the real, raw experience of parenting today – not the idealized version other brands were built around. Our research showed that parents who look after themselves early cope better and feel more confident in caring for their baby. All of us parents know this to be true – it’s emotionally exhausting – and too few brands acknowledge that.

So, while the other baby brands put their focus on the baby, we put ours on the parents.

What message are you hoping parents take away from the “We Get It” anthem video?
Why did you choose humour as a way to tackle something as serious as parental burnout?

Parenthood is one of life’s most demanding transitions – filled with joy, exhaustion, worry, and wonder – often all at once. The anthem video is a tribute to that rollercoaster. We want parents to feel seen, understood, and celebrated – not judged – especially during the moments when they’re running on empty.

Burnout is so common – but when parents can laugh at the shared chaos, it becomes more bearable. Humour gives us the chance to offer a silent nod of solidarity – to say “yes, this is hard, but you’ll get through this.”

The message we want parents to take away from the “We Get It” anthem video is simple and heartfelt: “We see you. We get it. And you’ve got this.” And maybe have a little giggle too.

After all, the world of diapers, poo-namis and fountain-like mishaps is a natural place for laughter. It’s certainly where some of my funniest parent stories come from.

How did the team at Rascals incorporate real parental experiences into the creative direction of this campaign?
Were there parent panels, internal discussions, or lived experiences from your team that shaped the storytelling?

We leaned heavily on parents within the company for insights at the start of the creative process. We held focus groups to help the team better understand the realities of parenting and draw out the most common experiences. Many of these insights shaped the wider campaign that supports the ad.

For us parents, it was lovely to hear just how many experiences we shared. For the non-parents – well, I think those conversations worked better than contraception!

Finally, toward the end of the creative process, we tested the ad with a sample of parents with young children, just to make sure we were on the right track. We made a few changes and as a result, it scored in the top 5% of ads globally, so we knew we were onto a good thing.

The Surgeon General’s recent statement shined a spotlight on caregiver mental health—how do you see Rascals’ campaign aligning with or building on that message?

For context: In our pitch, we shared this –A recent call from the U.S. Surgeon General is shedding light on the very real need to better support parents and caregivers. Parents today are feeling increased levels of burnout, emotional fatigue, and a lack of acknowledgement for the unpaid labour of raising young kids – and while the statement came out of the U.S., Canadian parents are feeling it just as deeply.  

This statement really resonated with me. I have a 5-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy, whom my beautiful wife and I raised through COVID-19 and many lockdowns. There’s no doubt in my mind it’s been one of the hardest times in generations to be a parent, and many couples simply didn’t make it through that period in one piece.

I love that we at Rascals are leaning into those challenges, working to make parents feel seen, and doing it in a light-hearted way. I don’t know if we would go so far as to say we’re building on an important message like that, but we certainly want to echo it and spread it.

Beyond awareness, you’re pledging to donate one million diapers in 2025. Can you share more about how this initiative will be rolled out and who it will reach?
What does real, tangible support for parents look like from a brand’s perspective?

Diaper need is a widespread and growing issue – 1 in 2 families in the U.S. struggle to afford enough diapers. And it’s not just a U.S. problem. Families everywhere are being forced to make impossible choices between essentials, and we believe no parent should ever have to choose between putting food on the table or diapers on their baby.

This donation effort is a global commitment to try and reach the parents who need it most, partnering with both global and local charities, healthcare groups, and some amazing people.

We’ve also invited our community to be part of the mission, asking parents to nominate great organizations in their area. We’ll continue to share progress updates on our social channels as we work towards the one million goal.

How has the response been from parents so far?
Any messages, comments, or reactions that have stood out?

The response from the community has been amazing – we’ve had hundreds of submissions from people around the world, sharing charities close to their hearts. We’ve already donated to some of those charities, with more donations on the way.

People are really engaging with the updates and the progress on social media – it’s great to see everyone getting behind the initiative.

As for parents specifically? I’m not sure. They are probably too busy holding it all together, and honestly, I wouldn’t blame them!

Rascals is known as a brand “made by parents, for parents.” How does that philosophy inform your decisions—especially when it comes to campaigns like this?

Rascals was built out of a real parent’s experience, when a mom of four struggled to find a diaper that performed well, was affordable, and safe on her son’s skin.

She worked hard to create an award-winning, absorbent and affordable diaper that solves this problem for other parents, and that thread of hard work has continued ever since. If our diapers can give a parent that holy grail moment of their child sleeping through the night, they’re happy, the baby is happy and we’re happy too.

With “We Get It,” the aim wasn’t to sell an idea of perfect parenting, but to reflect how it actually feels – tiring, emotional, funny, overwhelming. We wanted parents to feel recognized, not judged – something you only really get right when you’ve been through it yourself. Just like parenting, we just hope we got it mostly right!

There’s growing pressure on brands to “show up” meaningfully in the mental health space. What advice would you give to other companies hoping to do this authentically?

Firstly, be honest. Marketing lives in the world of selling, which I think it sometimes forgets.

We make high-performing diapers that reduce leaks, blowouts, and can help your child sleep through the night. These are little things that can make a big difference in a parent’s day. Oh, the things I would’ve done to have my little ones sleep through the night more.

Yes, we want more parents to buy these diapers, but there are many ways we could do that. We choose to do it in a way that makes parents feel seen and supported, and with initiatives like the One Million Diaper Donation, that genuinely help those most in need.

Finally, be consistent. If you’re going to show up in this space, make sure your tone, actions, and values line up. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture – it’s about getting the basics right and showing people you understand what they’re really dealing with.

What’s next for Rascals? Will “We Get It” evolve into future campaigns or ongoing community initiatives?

“We Get It” is a promise to parents, and one we are sticking to.

Next month, we’ll be sharing the results of a parenting report with 1,000 parents about the raw, relatable and often comical truths of raising kids. Would’ve been perfect for Mental Awareness Month, right? I told you we don’t always get it right!

We’ll be bringing those findings to life in a way that makes parents feel seen – on social, through PR, and hopefully by your water cooler. Wait, do offices even have those anymore?

We have a lot planned this year and more fun ideas on the way. There’s no end to the list of ways parents need help. Follow us on social. We’re just getting started.