Adult children raised by single mothers wish their moms a happy Father's Day in this intriguing, unconventional take on the holiday by Deutsch L.A. for Georgia Pacific's Angel Soft bathroom tissue.
The two-and-a-half-minute video presents various men and women who speak directly into the camera, thanking their moms for being both mothers and fathers in their lives. "She did it all, as though she was two people," one subject says. The others echo this sentiment, explaining how their moms combined softness and strength, tying back to the brand's new tagline, "Be soft, be strong," which is introduced here.
Quite a few of these folks get choked up, but that's de rigueur for the "gratitude advertising" category, and the tears are balanced by some lighter moments. (One guy recalls his mom teaching him to defend himself on the playground: "She was like, 'When you punch, you put your knuckle out and you just go for it.' I don't even know if that's a thing.")
Sure, this is another attempt to yank viewers' heartstrings, but the novel concept and no-frills presentation really carry the day. The subjects simply tell their stories, and there are no "dramatic appearances" by the moms, or clichéd hug sessions, so the spot feels less contrived than others in the genre. Another plus: The ad honors moms and dads by implicitly acknowledging the importance of the latter.
All that said, the work, from my perspective, has a basic conceptual flaw. While well-meaning, it could be be construed as trading in gender stereotypes. Some might find the suggestion of one parent typically being "soft" and the other "strong" kind of regressive. (Gee, I wonder which is supposed to be which?)
Don't men and women—raising kids alone or together, or childless, for that matter—usually combine both traits to varying degrees?
CREDITS
Client: Angel Soft
Chief Marketing Officer: Douwe Bergsma
Senior Vice President & General Manager, Bath Tissue: Vivek Joshi
Senior Marketing Director, Brand Center: Shari Neumann
Senior Brand Director: Joe Stempien
Senior Brand Manager: Todd Wingfield
Brand Manager: Melissa Blunte
Agency: Deutsch L.A.
Creative Credits:
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Pete Favat
Executive Creative Director:: Karen Costello
Executive Creative Director: Juan Oubina
Associate Creative Director: Melissa Langston-Wood
Associate Creative Director:: Jorge Ortega:
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Integrated Producer: Rachel Seitel
Integrated Producer: Win Bates
Associate Integrated Producer: Justin Polk
Music Director: Dave Rocco
Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director:: Erik Petersen
Group Account Director:: Montse Barrena
Account Director:: Megan Prince:
Account Director:: Lauren Pollare
Account Executive:: Melanie Faessler
Assistant Account Executive : Bianca Brittain
Account Planning:
Chief Strategic Officer: Colin Drummond
Executive Planning Director:: Jeffrey Blish
Group Planning Director:: Thas Naseemuddeen
Account Planner:: Eva Cantor
Digital Strategist : Janet Shih
Business Affairs/Traffic:
Director of Integrated Business Affairs:: Abilino Guillermo:
Senior Business Affairs Manager:: Terry Miglin:
Director or Broadcast Traffic:: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Coordinator:: Anna Brito
Executives:
CEO, North America:: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty
Production Company: Steelhead
Director: Eric Kaufman
Executive Producer: Ted Markovic
Producer: Matt Johnson
Line Producer: Melissa Verdugo
Editorial Company: Steelhead
Editor: Morgan Griswold
Executive Producer: Ted Markovic
Producer: Simone Gurren
Post Facility: Company 3
Executive Producer: Rhubie Jovanov
Senior Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld
Post/VFX: Steelhead
Executive Producer: Ted Markovic
Broadcast Motion Design Director: Jason Porter
Music by: Elias Arts
Track Title: Father's Day
ECD: Vincenzo LoRusso
CD: Michael Goldstein
EP: Vicki Ordeshook
Head of Production: Katie Overcash
Audio Post Company: Steelhead
Executive Producer: Ted Markovic
Mixer: Chase Butters
