Washington, DC (June 14, 2024) – In collaboration with the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC), the Ad Council has launched a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) aimed to celebrate and support responsible fatherhood. The campaign's latest spots are designed to showcase, encourage, and celebrate the efforts of young fathers overcoming everyday parenting challenges to be active and present in their children's lives.
The new PSAs capture the stories of three young fathers — Alex, Jose, and Sammy — highlighting some of their "fatherhood firsts" in intimate interviews. Each father comes from a different background, and their stories capture the full range of emotions new fathers may experience – from anxiety to joy and purpose. The stories demonstrate that a father’s presence is more important than being perfect. “There are going to be obstacles… but you’re going to realize you’re not the only one,” said Alex, one of the dad’s featured in the PSAs. “There’s no perfect way: your own way will be the perfect way.” Much like their own children, young dads – like those featured in these new spots – face an unfamiliar world themselves. But just as children grow and learn, so do their fathers.
“These new PSAs beautifully capture the essence of dedication and love that fathers bring to their roles as they navigate the complexities of parenthood,” said Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign Development Officer at the Ad Council. “Poignant stories like those shared by Alex, Jose, and Sammy highlight that fatherhood isn’t about having everything figured out, it’s about the effort you put in.”
The new spots were produced pro-bono by advertising agency Campbell Ewald. The creative was heavily informed and driven by extensive exploratory research. This research curated insights from real dads, especially new and young dads between the ages of 16 to 24, and also sought insights from “full time” and part-time or non-custodial fathers. The research showed that all fathers share a common experience of facing new emotions and sacrifices when it comes to being present for their children, but that newness and challenges are always worth it in the end.
“As a father, I know the challenges and rewards of being a new dad are immense. The national fatherhood media campaign reminds us that life is full of firsts — especially for new fathers,” said ACF Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Hild. “Fathers make a difference in the lives of their children by being positively and actively involved.”
The Director of ACF’s Office of Family Assistance, Ann Flagg, noted, “Fathers provide essential investment in the health and emotional well-being of their children. This new series of the national fatherhood media campaign highlights father’s representative of all American families — including young dads — rise to the challenge, to love their children through every ‘first,’ whether it’s the kid’s ‘first’ or the father’s ‘first.’”
“This new creative reflects a renewed commitment to drive awareness and action around responsible fatherhood, reassuring all fathers that the obstacles of fatherhood can be overcome by being present," said Kenneth Braswell, Project Director at the National
Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse and Chief Executive Officer for Fathers Incorporated. “We want to continue empowering fathers to keep embracing their role in parenthood and keep going.”
“More than advertising, these are young dads sharing their stories of joy, sacrifice and emotion, encouraging and empowering their peers to keep going and never stop being a dad,” said Silmo Bonomi, Chief Creative Officer at Campbell Ewald.
The new videos will appear in donated time and space nationwide across broadcast and online video, radio, print, and out-of-home assets. All PSA materials drive audiences to Fatherhood.gov to find tips and resources for dads.
Since 2013, the campaign has received over $370 million in donated media value, resulting in over 29.2 billion audience impressions across the country.
For more information on the campaign and to find resources on fatherhood involvement, visit Fatherhood.gov.
Media Contact:
Walter Deleon
wdeleon@adcouncil.org
The Ad Council
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite, and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change around the most pressing issues in America. Since the non-profit’s founding, the organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic and impactful campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling, and many more. With a current focus on mental health, racial justice, gun violence, and other critical issues, the Ad Council’s national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, among other innovative strategies to move the needle on the most important issues of the day.
To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council's communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, and view campaign creative on YouTube.
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’(HHS), Administration for Children and Families, (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) to assist policymakers, practitioners, and fathers to promote and support responsible fatherhood. NRFC provides evidence-informed materials, resources, and tools including timely information on fatherhood issues, and access to print and electronic publications.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HHS supports responsible fatherhood in diverse ways. Because engaged fathers strengthen families and contribute to healthy outcomes for children, many HHS programs integrate support for fathers. These include Head Start, child support programs, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
The Administration for Children and Families ACF, a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities. ACF programs aim to:
- Empower families and individuals to increase their economic independence and productivity.
- Encourage strong, healthy, supportive communities that positively impact children's quality of life and development.
- Create partnerships with front-line service providers, states, localities, and tribal communities to identify and implement solutions that transcend traditional program boundaries.
- Improve access to services through planning, reform, and integration.
- Address vulnerable populations' needs, strengths, and abilities, including refugees and migrants.
Campbell Ewald
Campbell Ewald is a U.S.-based full service, fully integrated advertising and marketing communications agency with over 100 years of know how. The agency provides both traditional and specialized capabilities including advertising; insights and strategic planning; creative development; integrated content strategy and creation; CRM; media planning and buying; in-house production; and analytics. With offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York, Campbell Ewald has been recognized as one of Metropolitan Detroit’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For and one of the top 10 agencies in North America by the Warc 100. The agency’s work on behalf of clients has been honored by, among others, the Cannes International Advertising Festival, the Effies, the One Show, the AAF Mosaic Awards, the ECHO Awards and ADWEEK.