Dads in Ads
It’s that time of year when dads are on everyone’s minds with Father’s Day around the corner. We love our fathers, but does advertising show it?
Dads, according to The Parenting Group’s research, think the deck is stacked against them. Eighty-two percent of men whose oldest child is less than 2 years old believe an anti-dad societal bias exists, coupled with the average of 66% among all dads. Does advertising exacerbate that feeling?
Taking a step backward and walking down memory lane for a second, we see the role of “Dad” has changed dramatically. Many men, back in the day, used to come home, enjoy a glass of bourbon and wait for their Mrs. to finish cooking dinner. We don’t see that as often anymore. While the role of “Mom” in the house, workplace and child-rearing environments has changed, so has that of men. And the guys are right, they don’t seem to be getting any credit for it.
Think about all the campaigns targeting and applauding moms, the latest example is P&G, Proud Sponsor of Moms. Their commercials can bring even the toughest person to tears. But what about the dads? Did they not have a hand in raising our Olympians or nation’s children? And even when they are featured, we see them portrayed as a doofus or incompetent. Reference the Huggies’ campaign that garnered intense backlash.
Dove commissioned a study of 1,000 fathers ages 25-54 and found that “three-quarters of dads say they are responsible for their child’s emotional well-being.” So how do we portray the modern Dad? Adweek is calling the “doofus dad” an increasingly extinct figure in today’s culture as brands like Volkswagen, Vicks VapoRub and Frosted Flakes are on board and doing an amazing job reducing it. Take a look at those videos for a heartwarming image of the importance dad’s play in all of us. Let’s give dads the respect they deserve.
With Father’s Day 2014 right around the corner, let’s celebrate our dads. Advertise the love of your father or spouse by showing how much you care for their hard work. They play a major role in raising our children and building the future, so let us step away from the doofus dad and fully support the modern one.
Looking for an organization to father your advertising campaign? Appleton Creative is an award-winning, full-service advertising agency located in Orlando, Florida. Appleton works with local, national and international clients to provide marketing strategies through print, web, social media and video production – all in-house. At Appleton, we want to learn about your business, empower your marketing team and be your creative resource. Your marketing goals are worth a conversation: contact us at 407-246-0092 or info@appletoncreative.com.
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