by Kelly Tonnemaker, Associate Strategist at space150

Here at space150, we believe the best advertising comes from taking a second look at the status quo. We approach all norms from technology, branding, strategy, and creative work with the same MO: destroy convention to create demand. Clearly, we're not the only ones who do this; often groups outside of ourselves prompt us to reevaluate our own conventions. This summer, inspired by a group rallying against convention, we reexamined the way in which we approach target audiences, a core tenet of our industry that informs the who, how, and why of advertising.

As the popularity and pervasiveness of social media platforms have skyrocketed so has our ability to endlessly curate our lives to present exactly what we want others to see. It's usually the most strategically cropped, maniacally filtered, best lit, and happiest moments that make the cut. There's nothing wrong with this, but it's easy to forget that these images, posts, comments, statuses, and snaps are just snippets of our lives. "Bad Moms" (an unofficial but affectionate moniker) haven't forgotten. This group of people is tied together by parenthood and general eye-rolling in the face of Pinterest perfection. Their rebellion of choice? Posting real, often humorous, raw, and largely unedited documentation of what their lives entail (i.e. what-the-hell-am-I-doing moments and epic meltdowns) to social media. Just take a look at photographer Anna Angenend's popular "Mom Life" series or @assholeparents to get the idea.

Beyond social media, "Bad Moms" remind us that, when it comes to advertising, the least we can do is define target audiences who are raising children as more than just "Moms." All humans are complex. That should come as news to no one. Why then do we distill everything down to that one trait when it comes to women who happen to have kids? This convention has existed for millennia, but let's face it — it's more than just a little stale and antiquated. How can we do better? These questions took us down a long and fascinating path all the way from Marie Antoinette's lack of hands-on parenting skills, to Freud's quasi-obsession with breastfeeding, to Victorian-era family fun and paper towels.

The dynamics of this phenomenon are deeply rooted in human history but the answer is simple. We will do better by acknowledging our own human-ness, thereby serving this appetite for real. Our highest order is to never forget that our target audiences are people, not consumers, with real challenges and imperfections, and to infuse this ethos into the creation of target audiences. Brands that are moving beyond Mom stereotypes are tapping into reality. As a result, they're prompting sighs of relief from those tired of petting zoo-themed birthday parties dominating their feed and creating resonant and attention-grabbing advertising that destroys convention.