A Message to Fathers across America: Take Time to be a Dad Today
Ad Council, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse Launch New Fatherhood Involvement PSAs in Time for Father’s Day
PR Newswire, Washington, DC, June 18, 2015 – This Sunday, millions of kids across America will celebrate their fathers and the contributions they have made to their lives. To coincide with Father’s Day, the Ad Council, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse have launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) that encourage dads to recognize the critical role they play in their children’s lives, and provide tools and information to help them get more involved with their kids.
An estimated 24.7 million children in the U.S. don’t live with their biological fathers1. That number represents 57.6 percent of black children, 32.2 percent of Hispanic children and 20.7 percent of white children2. In a recent study on Fatherhood Involvement conducted by the Ad Council, 86 percent of fathers surveyed said that the issue of “father involvement” was very important or important to them personally.
The tagline “Take time to be a dad today” is part of an ongoing effort to encourage dads to play an active role in their children’s lives. The new campaign, which was created by Campbell Ewald, uses a documentary style approach to film “Kids on Dads,” a series of short vignettes that feature kids talking about their dads, and the ways in which their fathers contribute to their lives. Through these children’s voices, the PSAs aim to communicate to fathers that their presence is essential to their children’s well-bring, and support men in their commitment to responsible fatherhood. Audiences are directed to visit www.fatherhood.gov or call 1-877-4DAD411 for parenting tips, fatherhood programs, and other resources.
“As society and the economy have changed, how we think about fatherhood and what it means to be a good father is also changing,” said Kenneth Braswell, Project Director of the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. “Regardless of whether a father lives with his children, his active, positive participation in raising them is now expected—and growing research shows it benefits everyone. Children grow into healthier adults. Fathers feel a sense of purpose outside of themselves. Mothers have a reliable partner or co-parent to share the responsibilities of parenting. People may have varying definitions of what it means to be a “good” father, but what matters most is that fathers are committed to their children and consistently and positively involved with them as they grow.”
“We all get caught up in our everyday lives, so Father’s Day is a great time for us to reach out to remind dads just how much kids appreciate every little effort they make,” said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “These PSAs show how important fathers are to their children, and that it’s never too late to be a part of their lives.”
To coincide with Father’s Day and the PSA launch, the campaign partners will also be hosting a Twitter Q&A with @WWEMoms on June 18 at 7:00 p.m. via #WWEDads.
The new PSAs are an extension of the Ad Council’s award-winning Fatherhood Involvement campaign, which launched in 2008. The ads will air and run in time and space entirely donated by the media. To date, the Fatherhood Involvement campaign has received more than $232 million in donated media.
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Take Time To Be A Dad Today #FathersDay Tweet
The Ad Council
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has affected, and continues to affect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit www.adcouncil.org, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our PSAs on YouTube.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The 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. HHS also supports programs that focus on responsible fatherhood, such as the Promoting Responsible Fatherhood grant program administered by the Office of Family Assistance.
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) is funded by the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Family Assistance’s (OFA) efforts to assist States and communities in promoting and supporting Responsible Fatherhood. Primarily a tool for professionals operating Responsible Fatherhood programs, the NRFC provides access to print and electronic publications, timely information on fatherhood issues, and targeted resources that support OFA-funded Responsible Fatherhood grantees. The NRFC Website also provides essential information for other audiences interested in fatherhood issues. The address for the NRFC website is www.fatherhood.gov.
Campbell Ewald
Campbell Ewald is a full service, fully integrated marketing communications agency providing both traditional and specialized capabilities including advertising; insights and strategic planning; integrated content strategy and development; digital; social, DM/CRM, retail and experiential marketing; and media planning and buying. With offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and San Antonio, Campbell Ewald is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) and is known for creating powerful ideas for clients including Atkins Nutritionals, Clear, Country Crock, Degree, De’Longhi, Detroit Lions, Edward Jones, Energy Upgrade California, Federal Student Aid, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Kaiser Permanente, LifeLock, Magnum, MilkPEP, OnStar, Snuggle, TRESemme, UNICEF, USAA, the United States Navy and Western Governors University.
Campbell Ewald Credits:
Executive Creative Director: Curtis Melville
Creative Director Art Director: Tom Cerroni
Creative Director Writer: Joe Godard
Executive Producer: Mary Ellen Krawczyk
Managing Director: Michelle Rossow
Senior Account Supervisor: Cristina Cecchetti
Account Supervisor: Natalie Dakroub
Contact
Cyn Davis
NRFC
[email protected]
Ellyn Fisher
The Ad Council
212-984-1964
[email protected]
1 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, “Living Arrangements of Children under 18 Years/1 and Marital Status of Parents by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin/2 and Selected Characteristics of the Child for all Children 2010.” Table C3. Internet Release Date November, 2010.
2 Family Structure and Children’s Living Arrangements 2012. Current Population Report. U.S. Census Bureau July 1, 2012.