5 most memorable Father’s Day campaigns

A 2022 survey on Father’s Day shopping habits showed that last year, the average expected spending on Father’s Day-related products was $171.79 per person, and the total expected spending was a massive $20 billion. It seems that since Covid-19 forced many of us to be away from our loved ones for such an extended period of time, people are now using special holidays such as Father’s Day and Mother’s Day to really show our families what they mean to us, after such a long and forced estrangement. 

With Father’s Day fast approaching, and many companies already planning their marketing strategies, we thought it would be fun to look back at some of the most memorable Father’s Day marketing campaigns of the last few years. 

Take a look…

#1 The best present is to be present – Stella Artois

This ad will get you reaching for the tissues as it’s a real tear jerker. It features real people reading out the messages they posted on social media for their Dads on Father’s Day. The only problem is that their Dads never got to see the messages because they’re not on social media. The ad shows the kids’ faces when they turn around and see that their fathers were listening and in fact got to hear all the nice things that their children had said about them. 

It undoubtedly left viewers feeling a very strong need to connect with their Dads and show them that they care. So. unsurprisingly it was pretty successful and reached 33MM impressions, 3.8MM worldwide views, and almost 40k social mentions.

#2 Food love stories – Tesco

This ad is short and sweet – literally. It shows a little girl with her Dad making macaroons and then posting them to her grandad who can’t be with them because of the pandemic. It’s emotive and gentle and really highlights the hardship of separation that we were all going through at the time, which no doubt made it stand out in people’s minds. 

#3 Personalised whiskey – Glenlivet

In marketing, personalisation is key when it comes to boosting customer engagement. Scotch whiskey brand Glenlivet certainly didn’t disappoint when it came to their Father’s Day marketing campaign back in 2016. Using Facebook to promote the Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve, they turned their homepage into a targeted gift generator where their followers could gift a mini dram to their Dads with a dedicated message. 

Unsurprisingly, the campaign was very popular and the new range achieved an 11% sales uplift. All in all, 8000 drams were gifted to dads and followers created over 100 personalised videos for the special day.

#4 It’s Never Too Late – Mondello Park

This heartwarming – and motivating – ad shows an older man whose only entry on his calendar is a weekly visit from his daughter. One day, he discovers motor racing on the television and starts to imagine he’s a racing driver, getting more and more passionate as the weeks go on. His daughter discovers his passion for motor racing and decides to make his dream a reality by booking him in for a racing day experience at the Mondello Park race track. 

The message is clear and effective; it’s never too late to realise your dreams, and this ad surely encouraged many people to make their own Dads’ dreams come true with unique and thoughtful gifts for Father’s Day that year.

5 Something for Dad – McDonalds

This ad from McDonalds Australia is something all parents can strongly relate to. It emotively highlights how much your life changes when you have a baby. The hero of the ad is a Dad whose days of motorbikes, beer and lie ins have been replaced by nappy changes, night feeds and hosting birthday parties – all to make his little girl happy. 

We’re sure it had many viewers fighting to hold back the tears when it was aired back in 2016.

Making your Father’s Day marketing campaign work for you

As we’ve explored, Father’s Day is an opportune time to reach your customers, engage with them and encourage them to buy with you for the father figure in their life. Using omnichannel customer engagement strategies is a really effective method for this. 

SMS messaging is an efficient and easy way to reach your customers. Currently, 7.26 billion people worldwide own a mobile phone. That’s 91% of the global population. And, their phones are with them most of the time and on average, 98% of text messages are read within 15 minutes of receipt. Using SMS to reach your customers just makes sense. 

How to use SMS Marketing for your business

Father’s Day campaigns can be really effective when it comes to gathering leads and making sales. You just need to put in the right amount of work and preparation, and you should reap some good rewards. 

Wondering how you can roll out a successful SMS campaign? We have an essentials guide that covers everything you need to know. Download your copy below.