StarHub asks, does AI really know you better than your mum?

StarHub is leaning into the AI conversation this Mother’s Day with a campaign that argues the best advice still comes from mum.

Dubbed “MumGPT”, the social-first campaign playfully reimagines mums as the original source of answers, powered not by algorithms, but by years of lived experience, care and knowing their children better than anyone else.

The campaign comes as consumers increasingly turn to AI tools for life hacks, recommendations and everyday advice.

Through humour and creator-led storytelling, StarHub aims to bring the focus back to more human connections, spotlighting the calls, texts and check-ins with mum that often provide the comfort and honesty technology cannot replicate.

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In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Lin Liangmin, head of brand and communications at StarHub said the campaign reflects StarHub’s positioning as a human-centric technology company.

“With the growing role AI plays in our lives, MumGPT was inspired by a simple truth: long before AI, many of us already turned to our mums for answers,” said Lin. “Humour felt like the most natural way to tell this story, keeping the campaign light-hearted while reminding audiences to nurture the connections they rely on most.”

The campaign features a series of Instagram content pieces with local creators including Preeti Nair, Benjamin Toh and Brenda Tan, each sharing humorous takes on the sometimes painfully accurate advice only mums can give.

In the clip featuring Benjamin Toh and his mother, Toh shows viewers a Telegram exchange in which he asks his mum whether bread he has kept for five days is still safe to eat. After checking the softness of the bread, she laughs and assures him it is fine.

Toh then compares her response to one from ChatGPT, sharing that the AI tool had asked him to check several conditions before consuming it. Cutting in, his mother jokes that she has more experience than ChatGPT.

While Toh admits he speaks to ChatGPT every day, he said he still turns to his mother, or “MumGPT”, for life decisions and emotional advice. “ChatGPT gives answers, but mum gives wisdom,” he said, encouraging viewers to ask their mothers before turning to AI. The video ends with a Mother’s Day message.

Meanwhile, Preeti Nair also joined the campaign, asking viewers if they remembered a time when people turned to adults for advice instead of ChatGPT.

In the video, Nair pits her mother against AI, posing questions such as “Should I quit my job?” and “Why am I having a headache?”. Her mother responds with humorous yet direct answers, contrasting ChatGPT’s more measured replies.

Similar to Toh’s video, Nair ends by highlighting the wisdom her mother offers and encourages viewers to consult their mums before asking AI.

Lin said the creator-led approach was key to making the campaign feel authentic and relatable.

“We wanted the campaign to feel authentic and grounded in real-life experiences,” said Lin. “Nair, Toh and Tan each have distinct personalities and are known for content that reflects relatable family dynamics and everyday humour.”

“Their storytelling styles helped bring MumGPT to life in a way that felt natural and entertaining to audiences, rather than overly scripted or branded,” she added.

As a social-first campaign, StarHub will be measuring success through engagement metrics such as views, shares, comments and audience participation through interactive features. However, Lin added that the brand is also looking at cultural resonance and conversation.

“Success for us would also mean the campaign resonates culturally, sparking relatable conversations around motherhood in a digital world and the importance of nurturing connections that matter most,” she said.

StarHub is not the only brand tapping into Mother’s Day storytelling this year. Recently, wellness brand Eu Yan Sang Singapore rolled out a seasonal campaign featuring brand ambassador Jeanette Aw, blending cinematic storytelling with messaging around the purity credentials of its premium bottled bird’s nest products.

The campaign film sees Aw preparing bird’s nest for her mother before gifting her a bottle of the brand’s ready-to-drink bird’s nest. Through narration, Aw compares a mother’s unconditional love to the care and purity behind the brand’s ingredients and products.

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