Brands' Video Ads Focus on Fathers

Mother’s Day is huge for marketers, and brands like Toyota, Dove and Minute Maid are capitalizing on Father’s Day, as well.

Toyota just released a pair of YouTube videos, one of which centers on people calling their dads just to let them know they’re thinking of them. The second video focuses on a father and son duo from the first, sending Phil to his dad’s Wyoming ranch for a reunion.

“Dads often get overlooked, even on their special day, with Americans spending $7 billion less than on Mother’s Day,” says Ann Masse, national vehicle marketing and communications manager at Toyota Motor Sales. “These videos are simply a friendly reminder to take a moment and reach out to your dad on Father’s Day to let him know how much he means to you.”

Toyota will be measuring the Saatchi & Saatchi executed videos based on views, as well as social engagement metrics such as comments and shares. In addition, a large “I Heart Dad” monument at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles will be installed complementarily for people to take pictures of and share with the #OneBoldChoice hashtag.

For the car manufacturer, this campaign is a natural extension of its dad-themed Super Bowl ads, which were very well-received on social. Dove Men+Care also continued its father focus from the Super Bowl. “Real strength means showing that you care, even from the very first moment,” the screen reads in between footage of dads-to-be learning they’re dads-to-be. Brands like Oreo, Omaha Steaks and Minute Maid went with heartfelt campaigns, as well.

Minute Maid’s Father’s Day video, part of its “Doin’ Good” campaign, has garnered more than 700,000 views in the last week. The Coca-Cola-owned juice brand’s video stands out in the crowd for being more from the dad’s perspective. While Toyota focuses on what Phil’s dad means to him, Minute Maid’s ad centers on a father answering the question, “How do you think you’re doing?”

“The brand has always been about championing families and really shining light on the positive things parents are doing,” says Anne Weaver, senior manager of integrated marketing content for Coca-Cola. “[With parents] there are commonly feelings of doubt and inadequacy. We wanted to dig into that and let them talk about it. We love that [the video] found its own unique space, but it was born out of an insight that’s very unique and relevant with our target audiences.”

Weaver notes that Minute Maid is a family-heavy brand and she’s “thrilled we have an opportunity to give dad a little love this season.”

Johnsonville went the opposite route. Rather than appealing to viewers’ emotions, the Wisconsin-based sausage brand made an absurd, funny video, riffing on the Mother’s Day cliché of being served breakfast in bed. In Droga5’s “Bratfast In Bed,” a dad experiences an amusing and occasionally creepy dream sequence involving his hands, head and family members morphing into bratwursts.

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