Brands have answered the call to celebrate Mother’s Day this year with messages ranging from sentimental to silly.

Spending on Mother’s Day is expected to reach $23.1 billion in the US this year, a slight drop from 2017’s record $23.6 billion, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). According to NRF’s annual survey, 86 percent of Americans will celebrate Mother’s Day this year and spend an average of $180 per person.

Finding The Words

Sometimes it’s hard to say how you feel, or you want to say it just right. That’s why Americans turn to the $3.6 billion greeting card industry for occasions like Mother’s Day—something Hallmark is taking full advantage of with its marketing campaign.

Hallmark teamed up with actress Julie Bowen (Modern Family) to surprise moms with a giant greeting card on the street. When opened, the card reveals a handwritten message from the recipient, who reads it aloud.

Bowen also provided voice over for a TV spot called “When You Care Enough To Put It Into Words.”

American Greetings asked its Facebook followers what they do just like their mothers. Answers ranged from having the same handwriting to spaghetti night crying at commercials. The brand illustrated some of these answers with a YouTube video called “Just Like My Mom” using colorful props and upbeat music.

Different Kinds Of Moms

For Mother’s Day, Teleflora produced a series of videos called “Love Makes A Mom.” The three-video series highlights different kinds of mother figures including a half-sister that steps in, a lesbian couple and a mother of a child with Down Syndrome.

Australian shopping center brand Stockland created a video called “Those Who Mum” that highlights mother figures in all their forms. The Stockland website also produced an editorial series that highlights several mothers from the region—telling each Australian woman’s story in detail.

Being a mom means putting herself above the needs of her family, and that can be reflected in how she looks.

Planet Fitness commissioned a study to support its “Judgement Free Zone” mantra that celebrates the “mom bod” —the female equivalent to a “dad bod” that often reflects the toll of physical and emotional stress after having children. The survey found that 79 percent of women feel stronger after having kids and 59 percent of respondents believe that women with “mom bods” are comfortable in their own skin.

Speaking of feeling comfortable, American mothers find it difficult to find a private place to breastfeed in public. Zappos teamed up with Mamava to install private rooms around New York and enlisted the help of comedienne Dena Blizzard to spread awareness.

Taste The Love

According to the National Restaurant Association, 34 percent of American families plan to dine out for Mother’s Day. Meanwhile, another 34 percent plan to have a home-cooked meal this holiday.

The National Cattleman’s Beef Association is highlighting moms that work on cattle farms on itshttps://www.thehoth.com/google-keyword-planner Facebook page and the hashtag #RealRanchMoms. The “Beef. It’s Whats For Dinner” brand is also sharing recipes and digital greeting cards to share with the carnivorous mothers in your life.

Carvel is offering ice cream cakes printed with custom designs drawn and/or colored by family members. The legacy ice cream brand teamed up with influencer Kelly Mindell, who designed and helped promote exclusive Carvel cake templates for Mother’s Day.