A new global campaign for TENA, #NoLoveLikeIt is opening the door on the highs, lows and copious amounts of love that carers generously give, in order to encourage greater support and understanding.

Research from Essity-owned incontinence brand, TENA, showed that one in ten people already look after a loved one, however only 50% who provide extended family care consider themselves as ‘carers’. With this in mind, the campaign aims to challenge perceptions of ‘caring’. With so many people taking on care responsibilities without acknowledging themselves as ‘carers’ they often lack the support and help they need and are left feeling isolated. 

With this campaign, TENA aims to extend support to all carers and strives to enable people to feel they are not alone in their journey. In conversations with carers, TENA found that dealing with urine leakage can feel like one of the most demanding and uncomfortable aspects of caring routines. This adds to the emotional strain caregivers feel on top of what is a physically and mentally demanding role. 

The #NoLoveLikeIt campaign has been created with the help of AMV BBDO and spotlights the lived experiences of carers in three households. The campaign goes behind closed doors to help shine a light on the realities faced by family carers. It highlights the full spectrum of emotions experienced by those caring for someone, including joy, pain and overwhelmingly, love. 

The three carers featured in the campaign are Becs, Simone and Andrew. Becs, who is in her early 30s, cares for her elderly mother. Simone looks after her husband James who has Multiple Sclerosis. While Andrew cares for his disabled daughter Phoebe, with the help of her sister Chloe.

In a campaign film created by AMV BBDO and directed by Oscar-nominated writer and Sound of Metal director, Darius Marder, the three real-life carers share their experiences. The intimate, non-fussy, emotive video delves into the realities of caring for a loved one, with Becs, Simone and Andrew narrating their struggles and highlights. The campaign shows caring to be a multi-faceted experience that can be both rewarding and challenging. “I do feel lonely sometimes”, reveals Simone while Andrew adds “I’ve still got a 21-year-old who wants a cuddle every night. It’s special.” Despite the hardships and struggles the film positions caring as a pursuit of love.

“I was moved to bring the unseen experiences of real carers to the screen in a sincere and artful way. Carers are largely invisible and uncelebrated. Yet they are the vast majority. Hardly any of us escape this scenario. In casting light on them, we cast light on the fabric that binds us all as humans,” explains Darius Marder, who directed the film via Caviar TV.

TENA holds a unique position in which it is able to offer help and practical support to carers. The brand has shared that in conversations with carers, they have remarked on how the responsibility of caring for someone can feel daunting, unfamiliar, and scary which can be even more challenging when the person you care for is incontinent. 

“TENA has spoken with many carers and their relatives over the years and it's clear that incontinence care is often just one of the many challenges they face in their daily lives. We wanted to support them beyond just our products and with our #NoLoveLikeIt campaign our ambition is to recognise their varying experiences and contributions and help to shine a light on something that will be a reality for many of us at some point.” explained TENA Global Brand Communications Manager Paul Dennis.

The campaign recognises the range and breadth of emotions that carers experience and calls upon audiences to support carers while also recognising a carer audience who often don’t identify as such. In addressing society’s lack of awareness around the topic and showing the world what it feels like to be a caregiver, TENA aims to help people feel more prepared and supported. The intimate campaign connects with audiences on an emotive level as while the struggles and difficulties carers face are unique, audiences can share in the overwhelming feeling of love.