The Best Father's Day Ads (So Far)

With Americans expected to shell out $15.5 billion on gifts, cards, dinners, ballgames and more to mark Father's Day on Sunday, marketers are themselves likely to spend about $2 billion on advertising to take advantage. Marketers' expected outlay is up 2% from last year, according to Robert Passikoff, president and founder of Brand Keys, which researches customer loyalty and engagement. That's still half a billion dollars less than marketers spent to cash in on Mother's Day by Passikoff's estimate. "Mother's Day has grown to cross all demographic lines, so gift-giving tends to be bigger," Passikoff said. "We haven't seen that kind of change for Father's Day." "Mother's day has become this kind of universal women's holiday," he added. "With Mother's Day, you find a greater variety of people celebrating who are not strictly within the rubric of children and mothers. You find other family members celebrating mother's day, even though they turn out to be aunts or friends." Appreciative sons and daughters will nonetheless do their part this Father's Day, so we decided to do ours. Here are some of the holiday's best spots: Footlocker: Father's Day In a Footlocker ode to dads, Lonzo Ball recalls "that big day when your dad berates your high school coach, in front of an entire crowd, for not getting you enough touches." Howler Magazine: Soccer Ball Phone Playing off the iconic Sports Illustrated football phones of the '90s, Howler Magazine, a print-only soccer publication (football for all you purists), brought on a star-studded cast for this spot. SickKids: DadStrong This Toronto children's hospital thanks the dads who go the extra mile. Gillette: This Father's Day, Go Ask Dad The Procter & Gamble brand has teenage boys talk to an "app" that tells them how to tie a tie and shave, later revealing that their fathers were behind the responses the whole time. It's an evolution of Gillette's 2016 Father's Day campaign in which boys made web searches, with results secretly hijacked by dad. Buffalo Wild Wings: Watching This daughter takes cues from dad in a Buffalo Wild Wings spot that appeals to families, a departure from their usual rowdy game day commercials. Dove Men + Care: Celebrate The Men Who Care Influential men in our lives aren't always dads. Dove Men + Care gives an ode to the teachers, uncles, coaches and grandfathers in this 30-second spot.

The Best Father's Day Ads (So Far)

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