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New “Dadication” Ads Aim to Inspire Responsible Fatherhood

#Dadication PSAs for Father’s Day

Washington, DC (June 16, 2023) – A new series of public service announcements (PSAs) in English and Spanish 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 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.

“This national fatherhood media campaign reminds us that fathers come from all walks of life,” said ACF Assistant Secretary January Contreras. “Fathers are essential, and they play a critical role in ensuring their children thrive, which is why our office works hard on these national public service announcements to reach dads around 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.

To view the new fatherhood PSAs, click here to view the English version and click here to view the Spanish version.

MEDIA CONTACT
Ben Dorf
[email protected]

ABOUT 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, LinkedIn and Twitter, and view campaign creative on YouTube.

ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (ACF)
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.

ABOUT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS)
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.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD CLEARINGHOUSE (NRFC)
The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) is a program of the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) under the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The NRFC’s mission is to provide, facilitate, and disseminate current research, evidence-informed practices, resources, and tools, including timely information on fatherhood issues and access to print and electronic publications that will encourage and strengthen fathers as parents and the capacity of practitioners who serve them. The NRFC also encourages policymakers, practitioners, fathers, families, and the general public to promote and support the essential need for responsible fatherhood. Visit www.fatherhood.gov for more information.