Ad Council’s “What’s Her Secret?” PSAs Reveal Hidden Struggles Of New Mothers and Push For Mental-Health Support

A screaming baby. Stretch marks. Tears in the shower. These candid, often-unspoken realities of early motherhood are the focus of a new public service announcement campaign from the Ad Council.

Released ahead of World Mental Health Day, the campaign—titled "What's Her Secret?" and part of the Ad Council's broader Love, Your Mind initiative—aims to normalize conversation about maternal mental health and connect new and expectant mothers with support.

Produced pro bono by Mischief USA, one PSA follows a group of women catching up in a park. When they ask a new mom, "How do you make it look so easy?" she politely credits routine and a support network, even as images and fleeting, painful thoughts of sleepless nights and daily struggle replay in her head. As that inner turmoil builds, on-screen chatter fades and a voice-over delivers the campaign’s core message:

"There is no secret to motherhood. There are only secrets we're keeping about it."

Maternal mental health conditions are common and serious. According to the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, at least one in five mothers report symptoms of depression or anxiety during the postpartum period, yet roughly three-quarters of those women do not receive treatment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that suicide and overdose tied to mental-health conditions accounted for 27.7% of pregnancy-related deaths in 2022.

Through The Secret To Motherhood PSAs, the Ad Council hopes to reach women during the vulnerable early stages of parenthood and direct them to expert-vetted resources at LoveYourMind.com/moms, a newly launched hub focused on maternal mental health.

From a creative perspective, the campaign pushes back against the cultural pressure for new mothers to appear flawless, inviting honest conversation about the emotionally complex realities of pregnancy and early parenthood and encouraging women to seek help when they need it.

Bianca Guimaraes, founding partner and executive creative director at Mischief USA, shared her own experience with postpartum depression while discussing the project. She recalled walking for hours with a stroller to pass the time and feeling envious of people without children—thoughts she felt she couldn't say aloud. In her words:

"Those were thoughts I didn't feel like I could say out loud. That's what this work is about: the thoughts we hide because they don't sound like what a new mother is supposed to feel. I loved my children deeply. I was also struggling deeply. Both things can be true."

The nationwide campaign will run in English and Spanish across broadcast TV, online video, out-of-home, radio and digital platforms. Following the Ad Council's model, media outlets donated airtime and space for the PSAs, with pro-bono creative and media support from Mischief USA, WPP Media and Datonics. Additional media partners include Amazon Ads, Fuse Media, iHeartMedia, Kargo, Pinterest and Reddit.

If you or someone you know is struggling: Visit LoveYourMind.com/moms for vetted resources and guidance on next steps.