Windex Will Help You See the Beauty of a Child Growing Up With This Soulful Father-Daughter Ad

How do you even begin to make a product like Windex emotionally compelling? By focusing not on the product but on the silent service it provides.

In its latest work for Windex’s “Give Life a Sparkle” platform, Energy BBDO—which previously made “The Story of Sarah & Juan” for Extra Gum—gives us another grand tearjerker, titled “The Story of Lucy.”

The three-minute film recounts that old tale about a dad witnessing the miracle of birth and watching his daughter grow up. But while brands like Subaru have ploughed that field for all it’s worth, this heartstring-pulling rendition marks a departure from the tired product-attribute focus that plagues Windex’s sector.

We know Windex more for its distinctive period blue shade and streak-free promises than about the actual role it plays in our lives—though My Big Fat Greek Wedding helped pave the way for seeing it in a hilariously different light.

In “The Story of Lucy,” though, the brand’s role is downplayed, focusing instead on the father’s face as he experiences the joys and quiet heartbreaks of watching his child become an adult.

The brand’s impact is felt most prominently at the beginning and end of the ad. At its start, the father places his hand on the flawless glass of the hospital nursery to welcome his child into the world. And at the end, his daughter and her partner present their own baby to him through yet another hospital nursery window. The moment he raises his hand to the glass drives the recall home (and will leave many a dad bursting into tears).

Music plays such a big role in transforming a short ad into a meaningful journey, and we aren’t disappointed in that respect, either. Don’t be fooled by that timelessly soulful voice; the track, Beautiful Thing, is rendered by Grace VanderWaal, best known for winning NBC’s America’s Got Talent, armed with a ukelele … at the mind-bending age of 12.

The ad concludes by telling us that “What’s between us, connects us.” The results of that insight certainly shine through.

Angela Natividad

@luckthelady

Angela Natividad is a frequent contributor to Adweek's creativity blog, AdFreak. She is also the author of Generation Creation and co-founder of Hurrah, an esports agency. She lives in Paris and when she isn't writing, she can be found picking food off your plate.