Top 7 Father's Day Creative Ads and How to Copy Them

Father's Day is a billion-dollar sales opportunity for businesses that are willing to invest in the right ads.

To put things into perspective, consumers in the United States alone spent $22.9 billion on Father’s Day in 2023. 

Surveys also show that 76% of consumers plan to celebrate Father’s Day. 

However, if you’re going to get the attention of this target market, you need Father's Day creative ads that do more than push products. 

The campaigns that win attention during this period are those that connect emotionally, align naturally with the brand, and provide customers with a reason to engage beyond a discount.

Today, we’ll show you 7 examples of companies that have cracked the Father’s Day advertising code so you can do the same for your business. 

7 most creative Father's Day ads

The best Father's Day campaigns recognize that people aren't only looking for products but also seeking ways to honor someone special. 

Let's review how these brands found creative ways to connect with their audience while staying true to their identity.

1. Durex 

Durex took a risk with this one, and it paid off. The Father's Day campaign is cheeky, bold, and completely on-brand for Durex.

Rather than pushing a product directly, they leaned into humor that works because of what their product prevents. The joke is easy to interpret, and the visuals are minimal, so nothing distracts viewers from the punchline.

This kind of Father's Day creative ad is effective because it doesn't feel like a traditional ad. 

It's more like a joke you'd share with friends, which makes it memorable and shareable. These are two things every Father's Day campaign should aim for.

Takeaway

• Use humor to grab the attention of your target audience when it aligns with your brand identity
• Let the product connection happen naturally without forcing a sales pitch
• Keep visuals minimal so the message does the heavy lifting
• Make your ad shareable by treating it like content, not a promotion

2. Volkswagen

Volkswagen leaned into nostalgia with this Father's Day ad, featuring two generations of the iconic Beetle side by side.

The ad connects the timeless design of the Beetle with the timeless role of fathers. It positions the car as part of family history, something that bridges generations and creates shared memories.

This type of Father's Day creative ad will be relatable to most car enthusiasts because it's about connection, not necessarily consumption. It reminds people that some things, such as good cars and good dads, stand the test of time.

Takeaway

• Tie your product to memories or long-term use when it fits your brand story
• Use visuals that communicate history and continuity to evoke nostalgia
• Find a creative way to represent the father-child relationship using your product or brand. For example, can different versions of your product (old vs. new, big vs. small) tell a story about family?

3. Page One

Page One, a restaurant, took a refreshingly low-pressure approach with their Father's Day ad. The visual uses the metaphor of intertwined forks to represent the give-and-take relationship between fathers and their children.

Rather than advertising a discount or special menu, the ad merely shows families that Father's Day is an opportunity to show appreciation for the care dads have given.

The tone is warm and welcoming, and feels like an invitation to celebrate together, rather than a sales pitch.

This type of Father's Day creative ad can be effective for service-based businesses, such as restaurants, because it aligns with the fact that most customers are already planning to celebrate their dads. 

The brand, in this case, becomes part of that moment without forcing itself into the spotlight.

Takeaway

• Prioritize the occasion and the sentiment, not your offer or discount
• Position your business as the place where meaningful moments happen
• Tap into the universal desire to give back to a parent for their years of care

4. McDonald's

McDonald's kept their Father's Day ad grounded in reality. The visual shows a child holding a McDonald's meal while reaching up to hold their father's hand. It's a no-frills moment that many families can relate to.

The ad acknowledges that fatherhood often manifests in small, everyday actions, such as grabbing a quick meal together. It's relatable because it reflects how most families actually spend time together.

This type of Father's Day creative ad is compelling because it doesn't try too hard. It positions the brand as part of regular family life, and for that, the ad feels more authentic.

Takeaway

• Show your product in ordinary family moments, not just special occasions
• Use real-life scenarios that your audience can see themselves in
• Avoid over-staging or over-sentimentalizing the creative

5. FedEx 

FedEx tied its delivery service directly into a Father's Day memory with this ad.

The copy plays on childhood nostalgia, when kids believed their dads could do anything, even fly.

The messaging works on two levels:

1. It reminds people of how they saw their fathers as kids
2. And it positions FedEx as the solution for getting gifts delivered quickly.

Rather than talking about shipping features or logistics, FedEx frames its service as part of making Father’s Day moments happen on time. As a result, the brand is able to stay relevant to the occasion.

Takeaway

• Tie your service directly to an emotional outcome your customer cares about
• Use relatable memories to humanize what could otherwise feel transactional
• Make your brand part of the celebration, not just a tool to facilitate it
• Show how your product or service helps customers express what they're feeling

6. Dollar Shave Club

If there's an ad that makes fathers feel like they instantly belong somewhere, it's this 2019 video campaign from Dollar Shave Club.

The video celebrates dad bodies in all their forms. In essence, Dollar Shave Club was telling men that 'whatever your dad body looks like, you're welcome at Dollar Shave Club.'

To back up the campaign, Dollar Shave Club released a limited edition DadBod Gift Set that reinforced the inclusive tone they'd already set with the video.

This Father's Day creative ad was incredibly effective because it created a connection before asking dads to make a purchase. 

The video format gave them room to tell a story that resonated emotionally, and the product became a natural next step for dads who felt seen by the message.

Takeaway

• Make your audience feel seen before asking them to purchase
• Let representation support the product, not replace it
• Use video to build an emotional connection, then let the product follow naturally

7. CRAFTSMAN

CRAFTSMAN leaned into a familiar fact for their Father’s Day ad. 

When something breaks at home, Dad is usually the one expected to fix it. 

The creative pairs this everyday reality with a power drill, using humor to reflect how often fathers become the default problem solvers around the house.

The ad can work for most home and garden products because the product is not decorative or symbolic. It plays a role in the story being told.

Takeaway

• Keep your product at the center of the message
• Use humor that spotlights how your product fits into a dad's life
• Avoid forcing emotion when utility makes more sense for your brand
• Make the product's role obvious and relatable through the situation you present

Angles you can take for your Father's Day creative ads

Below are a few angles to try out for your next Father’s Day campaign.

1. Emotional storytelling 

Tap into the feelings people have about their fathers. Ads that narrow down on gratitude, the sacrifices dads make, or the pride they feel tend to be relatable because they reflect genuine emotions that families experience.

2. Humor and relatable dad moments

Lean into the quirks and everyday realities of fatherhood. 

For instance, dad jokes, DIY projects that don't go as planned, or the way dads approach parenting are universally understood and make your ad feel relatable.

3. Appreciation messages from kids or families

You can also position your ad as a way for families to show appreciation. This angle is best when the focus is on giving back rather than promoting a specific product feature.

4. ‘Dad deserves this’ narratives

Frame your product or service as something Dad has earned. This type of ad is best when you want to justify a purchase by emphasizing how much fathers do for their families.

Produce Father's Day creative ads faster with Cropink

All these examples above are great, but when you have multiple products you want to promote on Father's Day, sometimes hundreds of SKUs, you'll need a creative automation tool in your tech stack.

One of the most straightforward creative automation platforms to start with is Cropink.

This platform uses your product feed data to generate hundreds of Father's Day creatives in a few minutes. 

You can use one of Cropink's templates or design in Figma and export it to Cropink so you can duplicate it for all your products.

Check out Cropink to start creating your Father's Day creatives. We have a free forever plan you can try out.

FAQs

Sources

1. National Retail Federation. 3 things to know about Father’s Day this year
2. Amra & Elma. Top 20 Father’s Day Marketing Statistics
3. Klaviyo. Father’s Day marketing ideas – with examples to inspire your next campaign