Campbell Ewald launched a PSA campaign for the Ad Council, HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse built around a simple but undeniably endearing premise: kids telling dad jokes.
The spot opens with a series of children making their way onstage to a microphone before the first of them delivers his line: “Can I tell you a cat joke? Just kitten.”
“Why did the girl ask the mushroom to dance?” asks another, delivering the punchline, “because he was a fungi” with a knowing smirk.
In between the jokes, the spot cuts to kids reacting with laughter. After a series of such paternally-influenced company, the spot delivers its message by asking why kids love dad jokes.
The answer, of course, is “Because they come from dad.”
Campbell Ewald’s effort concludes by calling on viewers to “Take some time to be a dad today.”
“Jokes can be found in every dad’s bag of tricks — dads of all backgrounds, situations and complexities,” Campbell Ewald chief creative officer Jo Shoesmith told The Drum in a statement. “Some are groan-worthy and some are downright corny. But that exchange of humor, which only takes a shared moment between dads and kids, creates cherished childhood memories. This work captures all of the natural, quirky ways kids go about reciting jokes shared by their dads.”
“Although this campaign utilizes a lighthearted approach to the subject of effective fatherhood, its emphasis is one of real importance to fathers and families everywhere; that fathers play a crucial role in impacting positively the lives of their children and of their families as a whole,” added ACF acting assistant secretary Steve Wagner.