Dads Get Their Due, Thanks to Dove

Dads care…well, most of them anyway. In a new survey conducted by Dove, nearly 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. As a brand committed to portraying how real men care, Dove Men+Care is releasing a new, touching short film that spotlights the expanding and often unrecognized ways dads care for their children. Entitled “Calls For Dad,” the film features real moments that children of all ages share with their fathers, most of which are regrettably absent from media depictions of dads today.

“Dove Men+Care has a history of celebrating real men and we know nothing is more important to men today than caring for their children,” said Rob Candelino, VP-marketing, Unilever Skincare. “'Calls For Dad' is a film we made to showcase just a few of these caring moments that, unfortunately, are absent from how dads are typically depicted today in media and advertising.”

When asked to select what attributes best describe dads in the media, dads were most likely to choose disconnected, bumbling and incompetent—which is not reflective of how fathers view themselves. Intended to overturn antiquated representations of dads and encourage recognition of them as caregivers, “Calls for Dad” documents 27 genuine fatherhood moments, from potty training and hair brushing, to nighttime soothing and broken heart mending.  The film can be viewed at YouTube.com/DoveMenCareUS.

According to Dove, Dads today are caring for their children's emotional well-being (74%) and taking responsibility for their daily needs (51%).4 Yet despite these facts, the media does not portray that nurturing side of fatherhood. Dove Men+Care is asking dads and their families to submit #RealDadMoments @DoveMenCare on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which will be heralded on www.Dovemencare.com to celebrate moments of dads' care.

And what about those 26% of guys who don't care for their children's emotional well-being? They're probably doing other thinks with their kids—like coaching Little League.