Now that both Mother's Day and Father's Day have come and past, we can take a look at some of the best ads these holidays had to offer this year.
Every year we see some truly creative ads hit the screens, ready to tug at our heartstrings and inspire us with gift ideas for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. This year has been no different. 2023 brings with it heart-warming ads honoring the parents in our lives, but also brings back an important question, how do these days impact those without a parent to celebrate?
The answer may seem simple, those without a parent can simply not participate. This is true, but seeing a bombardment of ads when you are grieving a loss can be incredibly upsetting. This year, a smattering of companies decided to let prospective customers opt out of ads. This is not only a compassionate move, but one that those affected by such circumstances are sure to remember.
The goal of Father’s Day and Mother’s Day ads is to activate customers, encourage gift purchases, and to effectively target customers along their purchase journey. Allowing people to opt out of these ads also helps create brand awareness – these audience members may not make a purchase for the holiday, but they are likely to remember the brand and its values when making a purchase later in the year.
The best Father’s Day ads 2023
These are some of the best video ads for Father’s Day this year.
Budweiser – Griffey Father’s Day
This emotionally charged ad from Budweiser uses warm, family images to capture attention and target audience’s emotions. Ken Griffey Jr. narrates this ad with fantastic imagery of him and his father, discussing everything he is grateful for this father’s day and calling attention to the hard work and love that fathers contribute to their children’s lives.
M&S – Father’s Day
This ad from M&S uses strong narrative elements to remind its audience of how much love a father has to give. Its accompanying imagery and music also work to draw out emotions and carry the audience through to the story’s end. No matter the hurt, love can always be a salve and this ad does a wonderful job of allowing the audience to remember all the times their father’s were a force of healing in their own lives.
Dove – Man Enough to Care
Dove creates a beautiful story with this ad; one that impacts its audience with emotion, nostalgia, and joy. The powerful narration, matched with imagery of real father’s enjoying time with their children creates a sense of pride in fatherhood. The message has equal impact:l, conveying the power in care and the importance of loving father figures, working to break down toxic masculinity and build a sense of strong, emotional caring masculinity in its place.
The best Mother’s Day ads 2023
These are some of the best video ads for Mother’s Day this year.
Publix – Happy Mother’s Day
Publix’s Mother’s Day ad beautifully shows the role of mother’s in caring for, teaching, and inspiring their children. It also shows how powerful it can be to show your mom and the mother of your children how much you care. This multiple generations in this ad create a heartwarming narrative that is impossible to skip.
Dunkin’ – The Most Unexpected Appraisal Ever
Dunkin’ shows its company’s values loudly and proudly in this year’s Mother’s Day ad. The company uses its annual employee reviews to show the mothers in its midst how much they value the work they do inside, and outside, the office – acknowledging the challenges that so many of them have faced over the past few years.
Pandora – HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
This ad keeps it short and sweet – taking just half a minute to highlight the support, love, and care that mothers (and all maternal figures) offer on a daily basis. This ad works because of its simplicity and inclusivity in reaching out to moms, grandmothers, step-mothers, and anyone else someone might look to celebrate on this holiday.
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