With Father’s Day around the corner, brands have a chance to capitalize on the moment. These are 4 of our favorite Father’s Day campaigns and why they worked:
1 – Dollar Shave Club – Ode to Dad Bods
Dollar Shave Club is no stranger to virality – the billion-dollar company originally gained attention with this video that’s been viewed over 20 million times that leveraged humor to convey the benefits of buying their razors.
Now, they’re back with characteristic boldness (and a touch of weirdness) with this campaign celebrating dad bods. Unlike the video that sparked it all, this ad doesn’t say anything about the products, but rather conveys the sentiment that Dollar Shave Club is for anyone who shaves, regardless of “bod.”
It takes a clever, tongue-in-cheek shot at the stereotypical shaving ad, featuring chiseled abs and steamy bathrooms, while also playing on a relevant cultural topic (even GQ is weighing in on the dad bod).
2 – Jimmy Kimmel Live! – I Love You, Dad!
It’s become a tradition for Jimmy Kimmel to ask his fans to submit videos doing some pretty absurd things. One of our favorites was this compilation from Father’s Day 2017, where fans scream at their dads to both hilarious and heartwarming effect.
While certainly bizarre, unique videos like this one provide a great way to leverage user-generated content to engage a community.
3 – Durex – Happy Father’s Day
Humor takes many shapes. While Dollar Shave Club and Jimmy Kimmel chose to go bold and absurd, the subtlety of Durex’s ad delivers a powerful message.
It’s unlikely Durex is marketing their products to fathers, but they still took advantage of a timely opportunity to demonstrate their product’s benefits to a demographic hoping they won’t have to celebrate Father’s Day for themselves anytime soon.
4 – Tesco & Tannoy – Tannoy Takeover
Humor isn’t always the answer. This collaborative 2016 effort between grocer Tesco and speaker manufacturer Tannoy (both British companies) tugs at the heartstrings. It makes sense for Tesco – who owns and operates community stores that are part of many families’ daily lives – to play to familial ideals, while Tannoy gets the benefit of demonstrating its product (the PA system over which these special announcements were made) in action.
Conclusion
Whether you choose to go humorous or heartfelt, Father’s Day provides an opportunity to seize a cultural moment, associate your brand with relevant feelings and create a conversation.
