This “Real Dad Moments” commercial was produced by Dove for Father’s Day 2014. The ad features a montage of children saying “dad” with varied emotions and contexts. Frequently, the  calls for dad are accompanied by a father taking care of the child and helping or playing with them. Dove conducted a survey before the ad that found “three quarters of dads say they are responsible for their child’s emotional well-being, while only 20% of dads see this role reflected in media.” Dove’s research team also found through surveys that “90% of men around the world say that their caring side is part of their masculinity and strength.” Dove goes on to justify the creation of the ad by stating “it’s time to acknowledge the caring moments of fatherhood that often go overlooked.” The ad was launched with a hashtag campaign where Dove encouraged viewers to use the tag #RealDadMoments and #RealStrength to share memories of their father on social media after the ad was shown.

discussion

What is a “real dad moment?”

How does this video present fatherhood? How does this video present masculinity?

In what ways does this video break stereotypes about parenting and masculinity? In what ways does it enforce stereotypes?

Who, if anyone, is left out of this ad?