Juggling a host of roles in the pandemic, now's the time to appreciate Dad's on Father's Day

“This is for all the men out there Dadding their socks off!” so starts the ad by card company Hallmark for a Father’s Day campaign - ‘he’s the man with a baby strapped tight to his chest in a harness (that he had to check was THE BEST).

Developing the theme of togetherness Tesco highlights that Dad’s are on hand no matter when and especially during the pandemic. They feature a father and his daughter cooking macaroons and then offering them remotely via zoom to his father, the little girl’s grandfather.

Heineken used the relationship between father & son to promote responsible drinking. We see Formula 1 star Nico Rosberg and his father Keke, also a champion in the same sport, battling it out on the tennis court, competitive fishing & other sports only to share a beer on the beach. The point being it’s the winner getting the honour of driving home, but beneath that the deep bond between father & son is marked on Father’s Day.

This day is designed to resonate with all generations and all relationships between Dad’s. Dove, the soap company, won top spot in its “Dad’s On” ad campaign showing Dad’s through the generations offering support, ‘teaching, innovating, holding down the homefront, loving, living, entertaining & looking ahead.’

And yet Father’s Day took a while to get recognised. It was first celebrated on the third Sunday in June in 1910 in Washington by Sonora Smart Dodd in the States who wanted ‘to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male presents

Then World War Two came and advertisers grabbed an opportunity to promote the troops out on the field. By the time the War was over Father’s Day was a national institution which the UK started celebrating before it was signed into law in the US by Richard Nixon in 1972. He declared it a national holiday in the middle of his re-election campaign.

The day is marked on various different dates around the world but in the UK, alongside the States, Canada and some other countries it's kept to the third Sunday in June. There have been many changes in societies and family structures since it started. For many, Father’s Day may not represent a happy but a sad time, and therefore it’s all important to convey not only the right message but alongside that message, the appropriate tone & meaning to that message in any gift on Father’s Day.

It may be that cooking your father’s favourite dinner is just the ticket as a treat. If he’s a McDonald’s fan, then what nicer to buy a burger from your butcher or supermarket and cook up an equivalent - not forgetting the importance of the bun & fries. Vegetables or salad are always an option !

Otherwise it may be a special sport or activity you like to do with your Dad - outside on the football field, or inside playing computer games, this way you get to spend special time with him.

A physical gift lasts has a lasting quality though, & whether at home or elsewhere a personalised gift or garment can convey your message all year round. A simple design your own tshirt with the I heart symbol or hearts plural, says it all simply. Using different fonts & colours to make your message clearer all helps. You can use a template which adds a definition of how you describe your Dad - these can be quite amusing, or else you may want to upload a photo alongside some text.

As ever with giving gifts to mark occasions it’s so important to get the tone right - and that’s where personalisation comes in. The perfect message can trigger not only a memory but a foundation for the future bond between generations of Dad’s and their families.