Father’s Day Advertising

Leading up to the third Sunday of June (in the USA), don’t be surprised if internet traffic for grills, golf and sporting equipment, tools and other traditionally male-focused items spikes. Although many advertisers may focus on school getting out and the changing seasons during this time of year, there’s another important holiday that shouldn’t be forgotten: Father’s Day. Unlike many other holidays, there is no one item or activity that is traditionally given for Father’s Day. This means that advertisers can be as creative as they want to help families find gifts to celebrate the fathers and father figures in their lives. With more than 70 million fathers in the US and nearly 90% of male parents reporting receiving gifts on this day, this is not a holiday to overlook. Father’s Day advertising can include campaigns such as creating a Father’s Day gift guide or offering “Dads Only” promotions that attract fathers and their children.

Father’s Day Advertising Strategies & Targeting

From a Media Planning and Buying perspective, Gourmet Ads recommends for brands wanting to engage and influence Grocery Buyers using Contextual Targeting and Audience Targeting for their Father’s Day Advertising Campaign.

Father’s Day Contextual Targeting

  • Father’s Day Content
  • Gift Content
  • Grilling Recipes

Father’s Day Audience Segments

These segments can be used uncoupled in your own DSP

  • Holiday Cooks
  • Grocery Buyers
  • Household Cooks
  • Recipe Content

Father’s Day Campaign Options

Father’s Day Dates  

Father’s Day is celebrated in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States on the third Sunday of June.

In Australia and New Zealand Father’s Day is on the first Sunday in September.

Father’s Day Ads

Here are some of the Father’s Day Ads we’ve run across Gourmet Ads.

Father's Day Ads Cadbury 300x250
Fathers Day Ads Johnnie Walker 300x250

The History of Father’s Day

Father’s Day is believed to have originated in the early 1900s in the US. The first celebration in 1908 honored the 362 fathers who were lost in the Monogah mining disaster. The popularity of honoring fathers, just as mothers were honored every year, gradually spread. However, it wasn’t until 1972 that Father’s Day became a nationwide holiday.

The day is often considered a “second Christmas” for fathers. Common gifts include ties, socks, golf clubs, sporting tickets, electronics, books, cologne, grills, tools or anything dad likes. Some young children may choose to make a craft or homemade card for their dad, while mothers and older children will typically buy a gift.

It’s also a day for family gatherings. Since the weather is getting warmer in most of the US, many families choose to barbecue or have a picnic. Some families may opt for a nice dinner at dad’s favorite restaurant.

Father’s Day Advertising is traditionally around barbecuing, tools and bloke gadgets

Father’s Day has become a sort of tribute to all things fatherly- barbecuing, tools, and of course family. The holiday has been celebrated since the early 1900s, when it was created to remember the 210 fathers who were lost as a result of the Monogah Mining disaster. Over time, the official observation of Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June was proposed numerous times until it was finally signed into law by President Nixon in 1972. The tradition of giving gifts to honor Fathers has become so common that as many as 90% of male parents report receiving a gift of some type on the holiday.

For advertisers, Father’s day is a great opportunity to market products targeted toward men. From grills and tools to ties and cologne, Father’s day gift giving has been compared to a “Second Christmas”, and there are many opportunities available for marketing managers who wish to market a product this way.

Ideas for Father’s Day Advertising to shoppers include:

  • Create a Father’s Day gift guide that showcases your products in either print or online form. The guide can contain pictures and descriptions along with interesting facts about dads. For food manufacturers, a gift guide that contains recipes that are designed to appeal to a man’s taste can be a great way to get new customers to try a product.
  • Offer “Dads Only” specials that are designed to attract Fathers and their children. For example, a restaurant could offer a “Dads eat free!” promotion, or a grocer may want to offer a “free steak for Dad!” Manufacturers who offer products that appeal to men can offer coupons that include a “freebie” or discount for men who bring their children in for Father’s Day.
  • Consider some creative marketing events, such as a pre-Father’s day crafting event that showcases your product by having children come in to create a gift for Dad. Not only does this bring customers in to try out a specific product, it is a good way to bring customers who are in a gift-giving mood in to your store to purchase other items.
  • With so many customers doing their gift shopping online, creating a smart internet marketing strategy for Father’s day can mean big sales for your company. Research shows that more than half of Father’s day shoppers are moms, so you’ll need the right campaign to appeal to mothers who are looking for ideas for the men in their lives. Targeted marketing plans for these women will lead to increased sales, both on-line and in store.

No matter how you choose to market your product for Father’s day, creating a marketing campaign that appeals directly to shoppers looking for men’s products can help you take advantage of the opportunity. As you create your marketing strategy, remember to include colors and patterns that are masculine to help draw attention to your product. Grocers and food manufacturers should also look at the tradition of treating Dad to a special Father’s Day meal as an opportunity to bring in customers and market new products. As you look toward the coming year, remember that Father’s Day Advertising offers marketing opportunities that many companies miss, and make sure that you have something special in mind for Dad this year.

Let’s Get Started ! 

Let the Gourmet Ads team walk you through all the options available to ensure that your Food, Supermarket, Beverage or Kitchen advertising campaign has the best possible combination of Premium Guaranteed Inventory, Scale, First Party Data, Contextual Targeting and Programmatic Advertising elements.