Honestly, Father’s Day doesn’t have the same impact as Mother’s Day, especially in the world of advertising. But with an average expected spending of over $170 every year in the USA alone, Father’s Day offers a golden opportunity for brands to connect with their core audience and drive their sales. And when it comes to crafting compelling Father’s Day ads, there are plenty of ad campaigns that you can refer to for inspiration.
So, here we are with 5 amazing Father’s Day commercials that stood out in celebrating the occasion.
1. Gillette: This Father’s Day, Go Ask Dad (2016)
With the advent of the Internet and other social media platforms, kids have somewhat stopped approaching their parents, especially their fathers, in case they want to know or ask about something. The Internet is usually their first resort if they want to learn something new.
So, for its 2016 Father’s Day campaign, Gillette asked kids to post a question online and do it according to the video instructions. Then came the fathers who helped them out with the same questions. The result- the kids confirmed that their fathers helped them learn better as they offered more personal guidance than the Internet.
Well, regardless of how fantastic technology is, it can never diminish the significance of parents.
2. HP: Little Moments (2017)
It’s common to see children getting distant from their fathers as they grow up. This 2017 HP commercial follows the same premise as it shows a father trying to form and cherish sweet, little moments with his daughter, who, like any other child in her early teens, couldn’t care less.
The sweet ad tugs at your heartstrings and showcases how parents often feel that their affection and efforts go unreciprocated and unnoticed. But fortunately, the caring father’s efforts finally get rewarded and the audience finds out that his daughter might not be as distant from him as we might think.
3. Stella Artois: The Best Present for Father’s Day (2018)
Ever since the advent of social media, we see people expressing their feelings about their parents every year on social media platforms, especially on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. But how many of those parents use social media?
So, the beer brand Stella Artois got a few men and their children to a cafe where the children read out their social media posts about their fathers in a cafe. But unbeknownst to them, their fathers were listening to every word that they were sharing.
The kids’ reaction when they come face to face with their fathers at the cafe is priceless. Also, the ad delivers an important message, which is that physical presence must never be substituted for social media presence.
4. Budweiser: Fathers Who Stepped Up (2019)
And here’s another tear-jerking ad for you, which Budweiser released on Father’s Day in 2019.
The ad showcases three people, each of whom shares a moment with their stepfathers. These stepfathers filled in the shoes that were left empty by the biological fathers of their kids. We don’t get to know what happened to their actual fathers but we surely find out that their stepfathers did a brilliant job. So, the kids requesting their stepfathers to adopt them seems like the only logical conclusion.
5. Dove: Dad On (2020)
Just like mothers, fathers play an instrumental role in defining our lives. Dove released this beautiful ad in 2020, which shared home footage of fathers from across the world.
The montage shows happy moments of fathers with their children where they are seen teaching, innovating, loving, and entertaining. The ad also pays tribute to fathers for the number of frontlines that they hold every day and highlights the caring side of fathers. The use of actual home clips lent the ad a higher degree of authenticity, which makes this advert one of our favorites.
Wrapping Up
And that was a wrap of the best Father’s Day commercials from recent years. While it’s true that Father’s Day doesn’t get the same attention as Mother’s Day, brands have slowly begun to realize the benefits of focusing on this day and connecting with their audience.
The efforts put in by fathers and other father-like figures in families and households must be recognized and celebrated globally. And brands have a major role to play in that as they are well-placed to leverage real-life experiences and emotions.
We’ll be back with more wonderful commercials for you. Till then, stay tuned!