In 2016, the world had 50.442 percent males and 49.558 percent females, according to The World Bank1. That (rather neatly) adds to 100 percent and shows a slight edge (0.884 percent) toward men. You would think marketers would notice that slightly more than half the world is men, and significant number of those men are fathers. Yet, judging by some of the seemingly anti-Dad ads out there, many companies have no clue about the value of Dadvertising.
MLB: Major League Mistake?
Major League Baseball (MLB) probably notices more than a few Dads in the stands, but with their 2018 All Star Mom Contest with Arm & Hammer, they seem to have looked right past the men who love baseball. True, May is the month with Mother’s Day, but plenty of Dads would love a trip to the All Star Game. And Dads do laundry! MLB, you struck out on this one.
Proctor & Gamble: No Thanks
We get it; any advertising will turn off some people while appealing to others. When advertisers seem to go out of their way to exclude more than half the population, though, that seems wrong, somehow. Even when the message is one of hope, as with Procter and Gamble promoting multicultural diversity, why leave Dads out? The company again pushed its “Thank you, Mom,” campaign for the 2018 Winter Olympics, and pushed many a Virginia Dad right out the door.
Sure, Moms deserve our thanks, but so do Dads. Single Dads; divorced Dads; happily married Dads; butt-scratching, workaday Dads — they all use P&G products, they all help their kids, and they all deserve a Thank You, too.
Nuk: More For Moms Means Less for Dads?
Admittedly, mothers own the breastfeeding turf, but Nuk has a More for Moms rewards program that overlooks the many Dads struggling to raise babies and toddlers. Nuk products — bottles, pacifiers, cups, teethers and more — can be used with equal agility by either Moms or Dads.
Sorry, Nuk, but More for Moms does not need to also mean less for Dads. Throw expectant or new Dads a few coupons, too. Better yet, just offer rewards for new parents, no gender bias implied!
Trivago: Dads Can’t Type?
Trivago turned to a bevy of blogging Moms to write a column on “The 19 Best Family-Friendly Hotels For 2018,” under the slug, Moms Know Best.
First, since your only two choices are Moms or Dads, Moms might know better, not best, and even then we would say that is unlikely. Picky grammar is not the major problem. Apparently Trivago thinks Dads either cannot rally themselves to type, or Dads have no skills in selecting family-friendly hotels. Sorry, Trivago; we have reservations about this Dad-unfriendly advertising.
Fabkids: Ode No You Didn’t
Fabkids sells children’s clothes by mail by subscription. It is an innovative use of the internet, but they have not caught up with that pesky statistic from The World Bank. Their “About Us” page includes a lovely Ode to Mom that speaks to their supposed customer base:
- For moms dragging their kids through clothing aisles
- For moms racing to keep up with school fashion
- For moms hearing forever, “It doesn’t fit anymore!”
Meanwhile, in their business model, Dad is apparently passed out on the couch in his undershirt. Dad is, it appears, unable to rouse himself even to click on a mouse to buy his children the clothes they need to stay hip, cool and fashionable.
The Mommy Hook: Step Away From the Stroller
Hey! You, Dad! Step away from the stroller; you are not authorized to push your own child. How bad are things when something as lowly as a carabiner gets tagged as “The Original Mommy Hook?” It holds extra bags and stuff on the handle of your stroller. That’s it. That’s what it does. It does not require two X chromosomes to operate.
Just picture the mall police pulling you over to issue you, a Dad of all things (how dare you!) a citation for using The Original Mommy Hook. Why would you even think you. Mr. X and Y chromosome, could operate so fiendishly complicated a device as a rounded metal clip with a retractable arm?
We really do get it. These are not earth-shattering, debilitating swipes at Dads. But the culture of pitting Moms against Dads needs to stop. In little and big ways, Dads should have our recognition and respect.
When shopping for products, consider supporting the companies that include Dads and men in their marketing. Think about contacting companies with blatant, sexist, excluding ad campaigns. Whether in domestic purchases or divorce, Dads deserve better.
At The Firm For Men, we always remember Dads. We work hard every day to serve the family law needs of Virginia’s men, exclusively. Your call to 757-383-9184, or your click to contact us online, will get you started on sound legal advice for child support, divorce, property settlement or just about any other family law issue.
1. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL.FE.ZS
