Huggies has released a new diaper and is partnering with Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and his adorable one-year-old daughter, Eva, to announce the launch.
But that’s just part of the story.
To celebrate the partnership, Huggies is donating $100,000 worth of diapers to Milwaukee Diaper Mission, in addition to its ongoing commitment to the National Diaper Bank Network that supports local diaper banks across the country.
The donation came at the request of Antetokounmpo, who recently completed his 12th season with the Bucks, and further fortifies the philanthropic relationship that he and his wife, Mariah, have developed with Milwaukee Diaper Mission.
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“This is an incredible opportunity for us,” Milwaukee Diaper Mission Founder and Executive Director Meagan Johnson said. “We’re still working out some of the details and logistics around how many diapers that equates to, when they’ll be delivered to our facility and at what cadence. But I can say that it is a lot of diapers and it will make a huge impact for our mission and for the families that we serve and organizations we partner with.
Many of those partner organizations have struggled to afford and source diapers and other items for the families they serve, Johnson said. “A large product donation like this allows us to say yes more and do more for our community,” she said.
As for the new ad, Giannis and Eva are the stars of a campaign touting the Huggies’ Little Movers Huggfit 360° slip-on diaper.
The one-minute spot begins with Giannis and diaper-clad Eva, her hair in pigtails, walking into a gym as rays of sunshine light the court. The oh-so-cute Eva yells “Daddy” in her tiny voice as she tries to keep up.
After Giannis unzips a gym bag to reveal a package of Huggies diapers, he helps Eva press the play button on an old-school boom box. The Ludacris tune “Stand Up” then fills the gym.
After Giannis tightens the laces on his sneakers and then secures the double-grip string on Eva’s diaper, the father-daughter duo takes the court with Eva mimicking the moves of her towering father. Giannis lifts up tiny Eva for a dunk, causing her to burst out laughing. The ad concludes with Eva raising her hands above her head, leaving Giannis to follow her lead this time.
With nearly one in two U.S. families with young children experiencing diaper need, the Antetokounmpos have been ardent supporters of Milwaukee Diaper Mission, a member of the National Diaper Bank Network.
After all, Giannis and Mariah know all about diapers. They have four young children. In addition to Eva, there’s Liam, Maverick and newborn Aria Capri.
“I connected with Mariah a number of years ago, back in the fall of 2021, when she and Giannis were looking for an opportunity to give back to local families,” Johnson said. “They were celebrating the birth of their second child, Maverick, and they wanted to host a diaper drive and fundraiser to support a local organization. We just happened to be that organization. That was the start of our relationship and partnership with the family and now their family foundation.”
Mariah has served on Milwaukee Diaper Mission’s board of directors and she and Giannis have volunteered at numerous events hosted by the organization, Johnson said.
“They just believe really strongly in giving back to the community that has done so much for them,” she said. “And as parents of two little ones at that time, and now four little ones, they know what diapers cost and they recognize that a lot of families in our community are struggling. It’s been a big passion projects of theirs to partner with us to make the work happen.”
Having a family with the status and popularity such as the Antetokounmpos has been incredibly beneficial to the fledgling organization, Johnson said.
“At the time we met them, we were a very small and very new nonprofit,” she said. “So, to have this family and this couple that have such importance and influence within the city of Milwaukee grab on to our mission and bring it out in front of people and get as many eyes on us as possible was certainly unexpected but also very welcomed. We were just getting started and to have them really hold on to our work and amplify and bring awareness to our work has been an incredible blessing. It’s been great to get to know them and have them be a part of our work.”
Founded in September 2020 in the two-car garage of Johnson’s house, Milwaukee Diaper Mission operates with a staff of just three but a group of more than 1,000 volunteers.
“We are Milwaukee’s first and only basic needs bank,” Johnson said. “We provided a reliable source of diapers, wipes and period supplies to our community. We do that work through our community partners, which are other nonprofits in the city of Milwaukee serving families in need. The list is very long but they are food pantries, home visiting agencies with workers like doulas and midwives. These are organizations that are already working with families who are experiencing diaper need and period poverty. We provide free supplies to those organizations so that they can support the families that they serve.”
The organization recently moved into an expanded warehouse facility in Cudahy, near Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, that is triple the size of its previous location.
“Our storage capacity growth has been just incredible and it’s not just because of the Antetokounmpo family,” Johnson said. “It’s families across Milwaukee and local businesses and other nonprofits who have lifted us up in amazing ways. It’s due to everyone coming together and wrapping their arms around this mission. We’re excited to fill this new space but we want to make sure the community knows that we’re still in need of support. We don’t want to discourage the community from supporting us even more. This diaper donation will get us through part of this year but there’s still the future to work toward and building up our inventory.”
As for the new Huggies ad, Johnson called it “adorable” and said it’s a realistic representation of how much Giannis embraces his role as a father.
“I know first-hand what a great dad Giannis is and what an amazing family they are,” Johnson said. “It really showed his hand-on nature as a father, his fun side. It was just a really sweet adorable way to not only showcase the Huggies brand but also to remind families and people in Milwaukee that they are a family just like everyone else. The fact that they jumped in with this support to Milwaukee Diaper Mission alongside the launch of this ad was brilliant and incredible for us.”
Johnson also said she hopes Giannis will remain in a Bucks uniform for many years to come and that he and Mariah’s dedication to the organization’s mission will remain steadfast.
“We want them around forever, of course, and not even from a sports perspective but because of the work we do as an organization,” she said. “Giannis feels strongly that this city raised him and he wants to continue to give back here to Milwaukee. That’s a nice thing to think about.”
