https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGPbKS8XUMY
Get ready for your heart to melt out of your body: Mattel just launched a new commercial that shines a much-deserved spotlight on today’s dads, and highlights how they’re redefining what it means “to Dad.”
And how exactly did Mattel do this?
By creating an almost two-minute commercial celebrating the dads who opt out of watching the football game to play Barbies with their daughters instead.
The “Dads Who Play Barbie” campaign debuted during Sunday’s AFC Championship between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, according to CNET. The commercial opens with shots of a father-daughter duo, with the father describing the ways in which they’re the “typical man’s man.”
“Sometimes, I go to the track with my buddies and we ride dirt bikes,” one explains.
“I grew up with four brothers. We did mostly boy things,” says another.
The third (and somewhat intimidating-looking) father begins to say, “Sundays are always football…” And by this point, you’re kind of rolling your eyes a bit and going, “Okay, we get it. You’re manly men. Great.”
But then, out of nowhere, the script takes a very different turn. The third dad finishes his thought:
“…And now that gets interrupted with a little…uh…Barbie time.”
The commercial then shows shot after excessively adorable shot of each of these dads playing Barbies with their daughters. The dads help their little girls’ Barbies take on roles like doctors, paleontologists, teachers, astronauts and firefighters in five different spots, all ending with, “Time spent in her imaginary world is an investment in her real world.”
What I thought was most striking was that they weren’t just going through the motions of playing with their daughters: these dads were loving every minute of it — and showing that today’s dads are different.
The commercial, which Barbie says features real dads and their daughters, not only makes you “Awww,” but delivers an inspirational message to the dreamer in all of us. The last slate says “You can be anything.”
Although the Patriots were victorious, the commercial appeared to be the real winner, as football and Barbie fans alike took to social media to praise the commercial, using the hashtag #DadsWhoPlayBarbie. Some users even shared fond memories of their dads and brothers playing Barbies with them, while others just expressed how freaking adorable the ad was.
Barbie joined in on the Twitter fun, sharing funny anecdotes from the commercial and urging others to share their Barbie story.
Missed the ad’s debut? Watch them all on Barbie’s website. But grab a box of tissues, just in case “something gets in your eye” like when I watched the commercials!
