Fathers have been making a comeback in ads lately—they're no longer just sniveling idiots with no parenting skills whatsoever. Now, General Mills helps dads in their revival with this Canadian campaign for Peanut Butter Cheerios.
The ad below, from Tribal Worldwide in Toronto, shows us a dad who is seemingly on top of his game—delivering a rapid-fire manifesto about the wonders of dadhood as he navigates his house, making sure his wife and four kids are all happy and well cared for.
He's sensitive but no pushover. He's the rule maker, not the rule breaker—but he'll be your buddy as well. He's a good dad, one who cares about his kids, even though he wings one son across a bed in the first scene. (No wonder the kid already has a broken arm.)
In its style, the ad will inevitably draw comparisons to Old Spice and Dollar Shave Club, with some GoldieBlox empowerment thrown in for good measure. And while it's a little on the goofy side—especially toward the end, when Dad mugs in slow motion, throwing fake gang signs around behind a hashtag—the sentiment isn't lost on us.
"Because being a dad is awesome, just like new Peanut Butter Cheerios are awesome," he says at the end. "And that's why it's the official cereal of dadhood. And this, my friends, this is #howtodad." (There's a Tumblr, too, with tips and aphorisms for those who are truly eager to do better dadding.)
See, Dad doesn't have to be cool. He just has to be there. And not be a moron.
Credits below. Via Ads of the World.
CREDITS
Client: Peanut Butter Cheerios, General Mills
Agency: Tribal Worldwide, Toronto
Creative Director: Josh Stein
Associate Creative Director: Rob Sturch
Copywriters: Rob Sturch, Tracy Wan
Art Director: Amy O’Neill
Agency Producers: Stef Fabich, Bonnie Chung
Account Team: Stephanie Wall, Samantha Murphy
Strategy: Sandra Moretti, Dino Demopoulos
Media Company: Cossette Media
Production Company: Radke Film Group
Director: Michael Clowater
Director of Photography: Andrij Parekh
Line Producer: Gillian Gardner
Postproduction Company: Married to Giants
Editor: Leo Zaharatos
Online Editors: Trevor Corrigan, Preeti Torul
Postproduction Company: Alter Ego
Colorist: Conor Fisher
Audio House: Grayson Matthews
Casting Agency: Jigsaw Casting
Casting Director: Shasta Lutz
