Even on Father's Day, advertising has plenty of fun at Dad's expense. But Canadian airline WestJet has just raised the bar with a Father's Day ad that captures everything we admire about fathers: their courage, their sacrifice, and how we desperately need them.
Having to work back in their hometown, Marc Grimard was separated from his youngest son Joel, who is living at Ronald McDonald House in Edmonton as he receives treatment for a congenital heart defect. But WestJet helped bring them together, largely thanks to one of its own employees, Medel Villena, who went above and beyond with his customer service.
Villena, a father himself, also recorded an inspiring video diary about his experience. The bonus video lets you see just how hard Grimard works to support his family every day, and how hard Villena worked to help out a fellow father. It's a tear-jerking, feel-good four minutes that will make you want to fly home and visit your dad.
It's a pretty good ad for Ronald McDonald House, too.
What's more, WestJet—previously known for its Christmas miracles—says it will do something similar for more families for every 100,000 views the YouTube clip, to a maximum of 500,000 views. So get sharing.
CREDITS
Agency: Cossette (AOR for Ronald McDonald House Charities)
Production Company: Sons & Daughters
Director Jake Kovnat
PR/Social Media: Citizen Relations
Media: OMD
Post production: Soda Post
Music: Jody Colero from Silent Joe