New “Dadication” Ads Aim to Inspire Responsible Fatherhood

#Dadication PSAs for Father’s Day

June 16, 2023

A new series of public service announcements (PSAs) have been created for this Father’s Day to highlight fatherhood involvement.  The PSAs were developed by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the Ad Council and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC).

These latest installments to the annual #Dadication PSA campaign — in both English and Spanish -  aim to showcase, encourage and celebrate the efforts of fathers to navigate parenting challenges so they can be active and present in their children's lives.

“This national fatherhood media campaign brings to life how a dedicated father shapes generations of a family.,” said ACF Assistant Secretary January Contreras. “ACF is pleased to partner with the Ad Council to celebrate dads and the difference that their presence and care make in the development of children across the country.”

The new #Dadication PSAs showcase Oscar, a Mexican American father of three, who shares his experiences as a parent, complimented with home footage and family photos. Oscar talks about the challenges and joys of parenting while reflecting on the lessons he learned from his father. He emphasizes the significance of expressing emotions to his children during happy and challenging moments, as it helps them learn and grow together.

“These are challenging times. It’s important that fathers know it’s okay to struggle and they can share how they’re doing with their children,” said Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council. “This new creative will build on our efforts to support and empower fathers to recognize their important role in their children’s lives.”

According to the #Dadication campaign’s tracking survey fielded by Ipsos in March 2023, fathers who were aware of the Fatherhood Involvement campaign PSAs were significantly more likely to have sought out information about increasing their involvement with their children over the past six months compared to fathers who were not aware of the PSAs (61% of ad-aware fathers versus 26% of not aware fathers). The new PSAs seek to build on this positive momentum and continue inspiring fathers to pursue resources that facilitate active engagement with their children, even in the face of struggle.

“Like with past campaign efforts, we are seeking to inspire a renewed commitment among fathers—to reignite the flame of responsible fatherhood," said Kenneth Braswell, Project Director at the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse and Chief Executive Officer for Fathers Incorporated. "We know these past few years have been extra challenging for everyone, including dads, and we want to encourage them to keep going no matter how hard it might seem because their involvement matters a great deal."

The Fatherhood Involvement media campaign has been incredibly successful, receiving an impressive $334 million in donated media and generating over 27.1 billion audience impressions nationwide since 2013. The campaign's central concept, "#Dadication," highlights the unwavering commitment of fathers to their children. Thanks to donated time and space, the new PSAs will be widely available in TV and online video formats and broadcast nationwide.

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Quick Facts

  • The PSAs were developed by the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the Ad Council and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse.
  • These latest installments to the annual #Dadication PSA campaign aim to showcase, encourage and celebrate the efforts of fathers to overcome parenting challenges so they can be active and present in their children's lives.
  • The Fatherhood Involvement media campaign has been incredibly successful, receiving an impressive $334 million in donated media and generating over 27.1 billion audience impressions nationwide since 2013.

Quotes

“This national fatherhood media campaign brings to life how a dedicated father shapes generations of a family. ACF is pleased to partner with the Ad Council to celebrate dads and the difference that their presence and care make in the development of children across the country.”
— ACF Assistant Secretary January Contreras.
“These are challenging times. It’s important that fathers know it’s okay to struggle and they can share how they’re doing with their children. This new creative will build on our efforts to support and empower fathers to recognize their important role in their children’s lives.”
— Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council.

Contact

Administration for Children & Families
Office of Communications
330 C Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

Phone: (202) 401-9215
Fax: (202) 205-9688
Email: media@acf.hhs.gov