I helped develop this integrated campaign with Earned Media at its heart tapping into the current cultural conversation about the crisis of masculinity in teenage boys. As part of our research we uncovered the powerful insight that while dads often pride themselves on being the fun one when their sons are small, that bond can weaken between seven and 11. By their teens, most boys no longer turn to Dad when something’s wrong. An issue at the root of a lot of the problems around toxic masculinity portrayed in the Netflix show Adolescence.
McCain’s brand platform is based on supporting the complexities of modern family life. Their brief to brief was to find ways to encourage playful banter between dads and their lads during the shared dinnertime moment. My idea was to celebrate the lost art of The Dad Joke.
In partnership with the masculinity charity Beyond Equality, we released an investigation into the role of humour in maintaining the relationship between fathers and sons.
Dad Joke Stand Up
To launch, we created the Dad Joke Comedy Club. Comedian and father of two Josh Widdicombe headlined a special stand-up show performing a set of dad jokes to an audience exclusively made up of dads and lads.
Josh did a round of national broadcast media interviews talking about how shared humour has helped strengthen his bond with his young children.
Our earned-first idea powered a full 360 campaign featuring a TVC from Adam & Eve showing moments of shared silliness between fathers and sons and extended into a social campaign with creator collaborations and comedian James Buckley going undercover via a hidden Dad Cam to help the fathers of the UK nail the best Dad Jokes.
We also partnered with Rankin who shot a photo series capturing intimate moments of shared joy between dads and their lads - including Joe Marler and his son. A pop-up gallery of Rankin’s photography went on display in the lobby of the Dad Joke Comedy Club and the images were also used for the OOH campaign giving it amplified earned interest.
