Ad Praising Moms of Olympians Moves the Web

Claudine Zap
·Claudine Zap


It's a special event that brings together people from all over the world. And now it has inspired a commercial that praises moms of Olympic athletes -- and it has gone viral on the Web.

The spot from Procter & Gamble has already been viewed on YouTube more than 700,000 times, receiving thousands of comments. (Full disclosure: P&G is a sponsor of Yahoo! Olympics coverage.)

"Best Job," which was created for the London 2012 Olympic Games, honors the mothers of the extraordinary athletes who will compete in this summer's games.

The ad starts with moms around the world waking their young children when it's still dark outside, feeding them breakfast, and seeing them off to sports practice. The moms, tireless supporters, watch their sleepy children grow into talented athletes. The payoff comes as their kids compete in the Olympics.

There is little dialogue; instead, a lush, orchestral score plays in the background. The ad's simple text reads "The hardest job in the world is the best job in the world" and labels Proctor & Gamble a "Proud sponsor of Moms." The spot encourages viewers to go to its Facebook page to post a thank-you message to their mothers.

The emotional ad airs at a time when the conversation about the job of being a mother is heating up (stay-at-home mom Ann Romney mixed it up with Obama supporter Hilary Rosen), and it sets the stage for the upcoming Mother's Day (May 13) and the Olympics.

Clearly, the spot strikes a chord with both parents and offspring alike. Comments like this are typical: "this gave me chills" from user StarOwna. Viewer Shadibraish wrote, "I have seen those precious tears! ... I love you MOM!" User notsalad admits, "i didnt cry the first time i watched it ... but i cried the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time."