upworthy

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CeraVe Skincare/Youtube

"let my cream hydrate you"

Okay, so it’s pretty common for beauty and skincare companies to have celebrities endorse their products. And when it’s not in the form of a social media post, you can bet it’s a highly stylized commercial, where said celebrity—dressed to the nines, hair impossibly shiny, skin flawless—puts on that dreamy voice to tell you all the ways in which this product is the fountain of youth, as they are caressed ever so gently by billowing fabrics draping around them. Maybe, just maybe if you use this product held preciously in their freshly manicured hands, you can get a fraction of their greatness. It’s the epitome of aspirational.

And then there's the Michael Cera CeraVe ad that premiered during the Super Bowl this Sunday.

You might have seen the bizarre social media campaign in the previous weeks where Michael Cera was spotted mysteriously signing Cera Va bottles. This was followed by Cera insisting the “Cera” in CeraVe is a reference to him during a podcast interview. Followed by CeraVe “setting the record straight” that Cera had nothing to do with the brand. More and more strange occurrences followed after that, including popular dermatologist Dr. Shah even “testing” Cera’s skin-care expertise.

Turns out, this was all an elaborate lead-up to a CeraVe commercial starring Cera. One that’s being hailed “perfect,” “"genius.",” and "best Super Bowl commercial in years."

Nailing those fantastical, overtly sensual qualities of a standard beauty product commercial, Cera indulges himself with a massage, claiming, “I am CeraVe,” all while New Age music plays softly in the background.

Cue more over-the-top images like scaling and mountain and chatting with a narwhal (yes, really) and Cera masterfully delivering lines like “Let my cream hydrate you” and “Human skin is my passion” in his signature deadpan.

The camera then zooms out to reveal this is actually a commercial Cera is pitching to a boardroom, saying, “I think it would be really nice if people think I made this," he said.

The ad ends with CeraVe confirming the brand “has been developed with dermatologists,”not Michael Cera.

Watch:

Not only did the ad win hearts online, it took home the Super Clio from the Clio Awards, which recognizes the Big Game's most “entertaining or emotional” commercial.

"It gets harder and harder to capture consumers' attention each year, but viewership for live sports, especially NFL football, continues to grow," says Clio Awards CDO Purcell, according to Muse. "An audience as large as the Super Bowl is rare, so brands and advertisers are under a lot of pressure to deliver a spot that has a cultural impact and generates buzz."

CeraVe certainly seemed to succeed in that arena. It goes to show that it’s not just beauty that sells. People enjoy weirdness just as much.The ad ends with CeraVe confirming the brand “has been developed with dermatologists,”not Michael Cera.

True

Temwa Mzumara knows firsthand what it feels like to watch helplessly as a loved one fights to stay alive. In fact, experiencing that level of fear and vulnerability is what inspired her to become a nurse anesthetist. She wanted to be involved in the process of not only keeping critically ill people alive, but offering them peace in the midst of the unknown.

"I want to, in the minutes before taking the patient into surgery, develop a trusting and therapeutic relationship and help instill hope," said Mzumara. Especially now, with Covid restrictions, loved ones are unable to be at the side of a patient heading to surgery which makes the ability to understand and quiet her patients' fears such an important part of what she does.

Temwa | Heroes Behind the Masks presented by CeraVewww.youtube.com

Dedicated to making a difference in the lives of her patients, Nurse Mzumara is one of the four nurses featured in Heroes Behind the Masks, a digital content series by CeraVe® that honors nurses who go above and beyond to provide safe and quality care to their patients and communities.


When she isn't working in an official capacity at the hospital, Nurse Mzumara devotes her time to a local ministry known as SALT (Service And Love Together). While there are multiple arms of the organization, Mzumara works most closely with their Hospital Ministry. Pre-Covid, groups of hospital volunteers visited patients to lift their spirits with singing and encouragement. However, since that's on hold for now, they've found other ways to help meet the needs of the central Florida community—like focusing on the growing homeless population. SALT's Homeless Ministry has created trailers that provide the community with food, clothing, and access to showers, and laundry, all of which help those experiencing homelessness get back on their feet.

"My faith is what drives me to be the best person I can be and drives my passion in life to help people in need," said Mzumara. She says she truly loves people and tries to see the best in everyone she meets because you never know what someone else might be going through.

"When I am with my patients, I strive to bring them hope and healing...gaining that trust from them and being appreciated for what I do is invaluable. Nursing is more than just a job. It's a calling," said Mzumara.

Nurses like Mzumara are what inspired CeraVe® to launch the Heroes Behind the Masks campaign.

"While CeraVe® has long appreciated and supported the invaluable work of the medical community, their service and commitment to their communities has never been more profound or worthy of recognition," said Jaclyn Marrone, Vice President of Marketing for CeraVe®. "We're thankful to all nurses everywhere for their unparalleled selflessness and compassion."

Developed with dermatologists, CeraVe® is a brand rooted in the medical community and committed to supporting healthcare professionals. As part of its commitment to nurses, CeraVe® is also a proud sponsor of the ANA Enterprise and their Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ initiative, a movement designed to transform the health of the nation by improving the health of the nation's 4.2 million registered nurses. Through the initiative, ANA is connecting and engaging with nurses to inspire them to take action in five key areas: activity, sleep, nutrition, quality of life and safety.

Additionally, over the past year, CeraVe® has donated more than 500,000 products to hospitals to help provide therapeutic skincare relief to healthcare workers and is continuing the product donation efforts. Nurses looking to engage with the brand and learn more about these initiatives can join the Shift Change: Nurse Essentials Facebook group, an online community hosted by CeraVe® where nurses come together for personal and professional empowerment.

To see more stories about nurse heroes, visit https://www.heroesbehindthemasks.com/.