Cyclamen "Mother's Halo" hit the Australian retail shelves over the last two weeks in the run-up to Mother's Day, supported by a media and awareness campaign conducted by Motherless Daughters Australia (MDA). Twenty cents from every Mother's Halo Cyclamen will be donated to the registered charity Motherless Daughters Australia. This is explained by Adrian Parsons, Managing Director at Helix Australia, who was the nursery lead on this campaign connecting MDA with key Australian growers and plant retailers. The key Australian industry participants included Haar's Nursery, Scotsburn Nursery, and online plant retailer Garden Express.
"The Mother's Halo Cyclamen represents ever-lasting love, femininity, and devotion. Available in many colors, it is a beautiful way to honor a mother or to remember one."
Media exposure to date has an estimated audience reach of more than 12 million and included full-page articles and editorials in leading Australian daily newspapers, national radio and TV segments, and billboard placements in key arterial roads around the country. The Mother's Halo Cyclamen radio community service announcement has received 1400 pro bono placements and was also featured at the finishing post of the Warrnambool Racing Carnival that was covered by Racing.com as well as Channel 9's footy show.
Motherless Daughters Australia is a non-profit organization with a rapidly growing community of more than 15,000 highly engaged women and girls whose mothers have died. MDA events and socials heavily promoted the Mother's Halo Cyclamen and created much-needed joy in the lead-up to Mother's Day, which is a painful time for many.
The Motherless Daughters Breakfast at Parliament House in Canberra on May 11, 2023, featured the Mother's Halo Cyclamens and attracted ministers who are also motherless daughters. Keynote speaker, the Hon. Katy Gallagher, Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, and Minister for Public Service, told the audience that she felt her mother's absence every day on the way home from work. MDA Board Director Kellie Curtain said the breakfast will be an annual event and has received warm bipartisan support. "We are confident that this is a catalyst for positive change to the way our society approaches grief, the breakfast was emotional and uplifting, and the Mother's Halo Cyclamens and their symbolism made the occasion bright and memorable. We are excited that the Halo will become synonymous with Mother's Day being a celebration of all mothers, including those with angel wings."
"It has been a great experience to assist MDA on their inaugural Mothers Halo campaign, and I look forward to helping MDA build on this year's success for many years to come…" said Parsons
Motherless Daughters Australia will continue to promote the Mother's Halo Cyclamen until the end of the growing season, and Ms. Curtain says the organization hopes more growers and retailers will embrace the initiative going forward. "There are more than 4 million women and girls in Australia whose mothers have died, our community loved the opportunity to honor their mums in a unique way, and we have been inundated with inquiries for local retailers stocking the Halo. We are enormously grateful to Adrian Parsons, who has led the initiative from the beginning, and to those who have supported us. We can't wait for season 2024".
For more information
Helix Australia
Adrian Parsons
Email: adrian@helixaustralia.com.au
https://www.helixaustralia.com.au/
Motherless Daughters Australia
Kellie Curtain or Danielle Snelling
Email: info@motherlessdaughters.com.au
https://www.motherlessdaughters.com.au/