It was only about a year ago that Huggies and nearly every other major advertiser seemed to be portraying dads as bumbling goofball Mr. Moms. In the most notable example, some of GMP’s most prominent Dad Bloggers stood up to Huggies, who responded by apologizing and creating a whole new set of advertisements featuring competent, loving fathers.
This year there have been a whole slew of awesome dads featured in advertising, mostly with small kids. This week we saw a new addition to the crop of awesome-daddy ads – Elliot and Jess of Google Chrome’s new “Jess Time” spot. What’s so cool about this ad is that not only is Jess a big kid—a teen away at college for the first time, in fact—but she confides in her dad, and he is clearly the person she trusts most with her vulnerable thoughts and fears.
Google Chrome has been tugging at heartstrings for a while, but there’s something special here: A unique view of the father as the trusted confidant, the dear friend, and the face representing the comfort of home.
Nice work, Google.
For more on dads and advertising, read Huggies Starts to Wipe Up Their Dads Mess by Jim Higley
Can anyone tell me the name of the song playing in this commercial and the artist? Thank you!
Music by: Chris & Thomas
Track: “Broken Chair”
Album: Land of Sea
Did you Shazam that, Cornelius? I was gonna tell her to Shazam it!
You don’t want me to give away all my secrets, do you?
hint: click on More Info
(if you have a flash blocker, you might not see the More Info link)
I don’t know if I have a flash blocker but I don’t see “more info”…
Some browsers and flash blockers will download the MP4 version instead of the Flash version. You’ll still be able to see the video, but you won’t be able to interact with it the same way. Also, you might have an out-of-date flash player. If so, you should update that stat since there are viruses in the wild that exploit Flash (yes, even on your Mac).
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
I’ve been following the comments on this and I just wanted to say that as much as I loved the commercial I think the personal stories being shared here in the comments section are even more amazing. Thank-you one and all for sharing your experiences.
I totally agree 24KAuGuy. We’ve been so moved by these stories, so many amazing fathers in our community. Every day I’m grateful to be a part of it.
Does anyone know who the actress and actor’s names and have they done any tv or movies?
The young lady would be great in a dramatic role they way she makes you go from sad to happy.
It still makes this 44 year old Dad of 2 and grandfather of 1 still tear up.
Are you an agent or producer? She works the theater circuit in NYC; if you have an opportunity for her you can probably reach her through Tisch.
Why do you know this?
Didn’t you realize? I’m the Ambassador of Useless Knowledge, a title bestowed upon me by one of my former students (and that was before Google and Wikipedia).
No, didn’t know if they had fb pages or anything. I was always raised that if someone does a good job,deed, etc to let the person/place know about it. Maybe they’d like to hear about it or get some positive response. I’m not about to go Hinckley on them if that’s what your worried about.
Maybe you could contact BBH, the creative firm that made the commercial? Maybe the actors have facebook pages, but who knows if they have public pages or not.
I didnt see anything at all about that commercial. Quite the contrary. My wife died 15 years ago when our daughter was 12 and our son was 15. That created a new level of relationship between my kids and I. The experience almost creates a shared, private language and method of expression that operates on a level that those who did not share the experience do not fully comprehend. The statement “I miss her too” is understood in a completely different way. When my daughter first went off to college, a few years after her mom’s death, she was so… Read more »
Those feeling this commercial is creepy need to check themselves for the thoughts in their OWN heads. This commercial mirrors my life minus the computer. My mother passed away my brother and I were teens, but prior to her death, my Dad and I had a wonderful relationship. After Mom died, that relationship got stronger. There was nothing inappropriate about it. He missed my Mom, but it is agreed that he had a difficult time moving on. To compensate, he poured himself into his kids and became adviser, counselor and confidant. He too was fashion challenged and allowed our mom… Read more »
Please tell me this type of man truly exists!
This ad brought tears to my eyes because I see my life before me. My wife died about 5 years ago when my daughter was almost 8 years old. My daughter and I have an amazing relationship. And I think this ad perfectly showed communication between two people going through the same thing albeit when the daughter is a few years older.
I loved this commercial, it brought tears to my eyes. I don’t think it is “creepy” in ANY way. I think the fact that they have such a close bond is amazing and it does not appear to be inappropriate in the least bit. In fact, I “bought” it so much that I was googling whether these people were, in fact, related and not just actors in a commercial… which is how I ended up at this article!
I’ll briefly explain what struck me as creepy.
When I was 13 years old my father left our family to be with a much youngerer woman. The character of “Jess” reminds me of a young woman having an inappropriate affair with a married man.
The most creepy part is her referring to her lover as “dad”
I dunno. It might be creepier that these two lovers also talk about missing his wife, “Mom”, not to mention that he must have been perving over her already in high school if he was there to take a picture of her at her graduation. I think I’ll just go back to pretending they’re father and daughter, because that takes care of the creepiness problem for me.
Yeah, I’m sorry but Kel, just because that is what it reminds you of doesn’t mean that’s what it is. In fact, it’s actually NOT that. She calls him dad because he actually is her dad. See, this is the thing that’s sad about this society – we’re so uncomfortable with the idea of a father being emotionally involved in his child’s life that we presume it can’t be a father… It’s a guy, it has to be a creepy older guy perving on an 18 year old in her dorm room. Fact is, this is a dad and a… Read more »
How can anyone get that these two are anything other than father and daughter?
Anyone thinking they are anything other than that is creepy ….
This notion: “Dads can only have relationships with kids when the Mom isn’t there” is why I don’t think the commercial is as great as others think it is. If he had a positive relationship with his daughter and then the mom appeared over his shoulder or something that would have felt more normal. Also, asking his daughter to pick out his tie in the absence of a spousal opinion could be construed as a little boundary confusing…
Asking a daughter for her opinion in picking out a tie crosses some spousal boundary? Are ties classified as lingerie where you live?
My dad doesn’t wear ties, but my stepdad does, and he’s the one who raised me and he asks me about shirts or ties a lot. Regardless of whether my mom’s there or not. I cannot see how this has anything to do with anything. The guy doesn’t want to look like a doofus, so he asks his kid who is a teenager and presumably more clued into what’s “cool” or at least not embarrassing.
Asking your daughter which tie you should wear is crossing a “boundary”? I am growing more and more concerned about peoples abilities to properly parent their children. I cannot for the life of me think as to why asking your daughter which tie you should wear could in any way be seen as a bad thing. So I guess the countless millions of ties given to fathers on Fathers Day constitute daughters showing their unspoken desires to have sex with their fathers???? What the hell is wrong with some of you people? I’m starting to think that some of these… Read more »
I thought the commercial was really great and positive. I would have loved to have a relationship like that with my Dad. Although, not sure why they had to kill off the Mom to show a father and daugther having a healthy bond. Unfortunetly, there is a bit of a trend in media where Mom’s seem to get killed off in stories that focus on Dad’s and children. Then they bring in younger women to play other supporting roles. But I did like that she was an average girl and she was dressed like a college student and not Britney… Read more »
Its interesting…the ad actually didn’t say mom is dead, she is just out of the picture for whatever reason. It kind of dovetails with the comments suspecting the worst about dad that we suppose only the “best” reason mom is gone. Mom could be live and well with her eloped lover, or serving a life prison sentence -ideas more easily conjured if Dad were out of the picture.
Random_Stranger, I lost my dad a few years ago and in my family, we say stuff like “I really miss Dad”. I think that’s why I assumed she was dead. I also do see a trend in media where the moms get killed off to present a story line between children and father. For one thing, it kind of sends the idea that Dads can only have relationships with kids when the Mom isn’t there and for another, I think they do it so they can bring in younger female actresses.
Yes, Erin, I’m sure that’s the only reason they do it. Aside from the fact that the entire ad is cynical (being that it’s an ad to sell something using grief and poignancy to promote their product), it reads like a family that a) lost someone important to them and b) the father is now an empty nester and they find some solace and connection in new technologies. Having been a daughter in a family where a) we lost someone important to us and b) my mother became an empty nester widow, I can imagine having technologies of all kinds… Read more »
I’m not quite sure on the tone of your post Julie. I didn’t say that showing one combination of people, race, orientation and age is a bad thing. I actually thought the commerical was good and a move in the right direction. I just pointed out a theme I noticed recently.
As a guy who’s spent more time in advertising than he cares to admit, I think this is an extraordinary commercial. It’s memorable, touching, and actually sells what the product (Chrome, and Google in general) offers: a better way to connect. But if you ask me, it’s the music that’s doing 50% of the work here. Props to the artists Chris and Thomas for breaking our hearts. If you want to support them, buy their music here:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/broken-chair/id252999376?i=252999692
I guess I’m a creepy troll, better stuff my opinions inside lest people make me feel like a creepy troll.
My vote is that it is creepy.
I hope none of you who are saying this is “creepy” are also among the crowd that believes creep-shaming is real. I mean, yeah, this dad who loves his daughter and may have lost his wife and talks to his kid regularly and supports her is creepy — but the guy at the bar who won’t stop talking to you even though you turn your back to him twice is NOT creepy!
(banging head on desk)
Joanna, I am curious as to why some people feel this ad is creepy. It’s entirely possible some of those people are simply trolling, but at the same time I can’t help but wonder if what makes it creepy is an attitude that there is always a sexual tension between men and women, that any sort of close relationship between a father and daughter skirts along the incest boundary. Such a view has its roots in the myth of male weakness of course. Perhaps what is needed is a recalibration of what a creepy father-daughter relationship looks like. Perhaps no… Read more »
Nick, you’ve raised a point that I have been thinking about in regards to the negative reactions we’re seeing here. The expectation of, as you put it, sexual tension between men and women and it is an incredibly damaging attitude to project upon a relationship between a father and daughter. However, I believe you may be correct in your assessment in regards to the “creepy” comments we’ve seen here. At the same time, I wonder if the negative reactions are just one side of our need to maintain commonly held beliefs? The pattern here within the comments seems familiar —… Read more »
My hunch is that the people who find this “creepy” say so simply because they don’t see a touching spot where a father and daughter are trying to bridge the generation gap. They simply see an older man talking online to a younger woman. They think it looks like some form of predator behavior. Which, if true, seems to require a fair bit of projection. If the first thing you’re reminded of when you see an older man talking to a younger woman is that of an older “creep” hitting on an unsuspecting younger woman for “creepy” purposes, it might… Read more »
A+ on that.
Also, they might be trolling.
I don’t understand the people who think this is creepy. Tyler seems to think it’s creepy because they talk too much, their conversations are too personal, and they are too wrapped up in each other. John doesn’t like it because he think that their relationship is artificially built out of tragedy. Kel just thinks it’s creepy without citing any reason. Some people talk to their parents or children quite a bit. Others, not so much. There’s no “correct” amount of time to talk to one’s kids, nor does frequency of conversation necessarily indicate closeness (although it’s likely that there is… Read more »
If you don’t find this just a little creepy then something might be wrong.
I agree, I found your comment to be quite creepy. Glad to know nothing is wrong with me though.
Nick, I agree. Kel’s comment is quite creepy.
Something about anonymous people on the internet stirring up trouble on an article and an advertisement that only celebrates the positive relationships in our lives IS definitely creepy.
Nick…thanks for your humor. I appreciate it!!
Wow, what a beautiful ad! I have been a stay-at-home-dad to my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Greta, since she was born. We have a great relationship now and I can only hope to one day be as close as the father and daughter in this amazing clip. I’ll admit I’m kind of an easy cry these days, but, wow, this one got me pretty weepy. And if you ask me, calling something this sweet and heartfelt “creepy” says a lot more about the person commenting than the ad. I mean, WTF?! The commenter above actually prides himself on only talking to his… Read more »
I saw this ad for the first time while watching a football game with my father this Sunday. It really touched me because my mother passed away unexpectedly a little over a year ago. I am an only child and he and I have become each others support systems.
This ad made me stop and shed a tear. It made me feel good when there is so much bad things going on right now. Good for google and the actors who brought it to life, I wonder who they are.
Brought tears to my eyes! I have a daughter in high school. The ad was right on the mark. It was refreshing to see a dad portrayed in a positive light. Perfect. Bravo Google
Definitely brought tears to my eyes- I love all of the Google Chrome ads.
Bravo Google!
I love this. The understanding that they had gone through the loss of a mother and a wife together tugs at my heart. I see a dad who is trying his best to pick up the pieces and be supportive enough for two parents. I see what a great single dad can be, should be and would be under those circumstances. Well done.
Lovely. Brought tears to my eyes. I was raised by my dad and it would have been nice if we could have had a healthy relationship all the way through. But we sure did have some quality years where we were close and supported and cheered each other on and also reached out to one another for advice. This is the way it should be, healthy and happy and mutually respectful and supportive and loving. I miss him and recall those years with great fondness. The bad ones were tainted with patriarchal garbage social scripting that dad bought into and… Read more »
As a father with two children in college, both over 700 miles from my home, my reaction to that ad is “eeew”. Yes, I’m close to my kids, and yes, they both ask me for different kinds of advice (depending on their needs), and yes, they both complain to me about many of my choices (and vice versa), and yes, we all use Chrome as our browser, but that ad really rubbed me the wrong way. I would never think of chatting with either of them more than two or three times a month, as our lives no longer center… Read more »
What if the add was mother/daughter? Or father/son? Same reaction? What makes it creepy?
Did you note it was implied the mother was dead in this ad?
That was one of the things that bothered me about the ad because it leaves the impression that he is only close to his daughter because her mother died.
WHAT??????? Are you kidding, John?
Julie, I totally had the same reaction – I think most of these people need therapy 😉 Look at the commercial for what it is – the web is more than what it used to be and here’s a situation where both characters have lost something important in there lives and what they have is each other – I think it’s family centric and what’s with the best friend line – it’s not about best friends – it’s about communication and the many ways we can utilize it today.
Oh my God, what is wrong here? I’m deeply sad for both you, T, and John. The bond I have with my dads – stepdad and bio dad – are so deep and important to me. My friends and I used to call my dad on the phone to tell him stories and hear his stories, from my dorm. It wasn’t every day, but this doesn’t imply it’s every day either. Love means missing someone, love means reaching out to them. Love means asking little and big things like tie choice and to talk about missing your mom, whom for… Read more »
Joanna, A lot of people today simply reply to something that stirs an emotion in them, with “That’s just creepy,” “That’s weird,” “Fail,” or “Just sayin’.” It is very annoying. The best way to counter them is to continue to make the positive statements you are making, to model good behaviour, and to know that not everybody feels the same way. Instead of criticizing, as Tyler, T. and John do, keep setting a good example of what is nice about the Earth. Who ever believes ads anyway? I make a mental note to not purchase from companies that portray dads… Read more »
i think your reply is creapy! it’s a dad and daughter – what is wrong with you!
Hey Tyler.. I have 2 girls and once they “grow up” the best thing in the world is keeping in touch and getting updated on the day in the life. You may see it as “eww” but I see it as a dad who is both friend and parent. As you get older and the kids become the parent you’ll regret not being more of a friend as they got older…
Father of 3 and I cried.
I sure would like to hear what Tyler’s kids say about him to their “friends”. Probably something along the line of “I wish my Dad would actually talk to me sometimes”. The simple fact is there are Fathers in this world, and there are Dad’s. I am proud to say I am a Dad. My daughter calls me from college just to talk. I hear about her classes, her friends and whats going on with her life. She listens to me laugh and cry and she returns the same. My daughter and I are close because she is my daughter… Read more »