Hasta La Creative!

And now, for something completely different from Dove: A Father’s Day ad.

Via footage culled from across the Internet, Dove’s Men+Care division treats us to to the spontaneous, real-life reactions of 12 different guys as they learn they are going to be fathers. “Real strength means showing you care, even from the very first moment,” we’re told.

Their expressions are somewhat open to interpretation, but these guys are likely either stunned and elated, shell-shocked or generally experiencing emotions that could be described as “on brand.”

Hey, it’s a branded Father’s Day ad, so I think we know, from the first few seconds, pretty much what to expect. Then again, the one branded Father’s Day commercial to try a truly novel approach, from Angel Soft, has faced its share of crap this week for directing praise to single moms. So Dove is probably wise to give the people what they want.

Created by Havas Helia, the spot makes a nice addition to this year’s onslaught of Father’s Day commercials. The joy and wonder we see here is undeniably authentic, and it’s hard not to smile and/or get a bit choked up along with the guys on screen.

But wait until those 4 a.m. feedings kick in. Let’s see how “strong” those dads feel then. Suckers.