“Yo mama” jokes have long been a staple of insult comedy, but Maple Leaf Foods has launched a campaign coinciding with Mother’s Day that rewrites these mean-spirited zingers into a more family-friendly form.

In collaboration with agency partner Sid Lee, the CPG has unveiled its “Better Book of Mom Jokes,” featuring kids in a hero spot reading sweetly spun odes to mom, a very wholesome take on the put-down joke genre.

The work, which runs May 8 to 12, pays respect to mothers in a fresh way. Alex Bird, associate creative director at Sid Lee, says Maple Leaf Foods is always looking to find opportunities to show the brand is an ally to parents.

For now, it is offering up a digital version of the joke book.

“We’d love to get a physical copy of the book out in the future,” Bird says.

The creative is anchored by a digital video, shared across Maple Leaf’s social and digital channels. There is a small paid media push, but the brand and agency are mostly hoping for word of mouth and online sharing to get things going.

Last month, the company launched a new brand platform, “Natural Negotiators,” which was also developed and executed by Sid Lee.

The “Natural Negotiators” platform draws inspiration from the everyday struggles of parents, who often find themselves bargaining and compromising with their children over just about everything– especially food.

“It’s an insight that’s just so universal and universally felt,” Bird says.

By championing real, natural ingredients and flavour, Maple Leaf says it is showcasing its dedication to authenticity, while addressing a common challenge faced by parents.

As Bird explains, it’s a full 360 effort that is running throughout the whole year, but leads with its prime chicken and natural hotdogs then taking things to bacon and natural selections in the back half of the year.

Fuse Create is the handled media on the campaign. The platform rolls out in multiple phases throughout the year, across a variety of media touchpoints. TV and online creative launch the new platform while heroing Maple Leaf Top Dogs’ natural hot dogs. The campaign also includes “significant TV support” for Maple Leaf’s Prime RWA chicken, along with online videos about the benefits of chicken raised without antibiotics.