A welcome reminder of the #powerofdad ahead of Father's Day

With less than two weeks left until Father's Day on Sunday, June 15, the #powerofdad hashtag has resurfaced on Twitter after an appearance this time last year. The American Greetings hashtag #worldtoughestjob has also popped up again, this time in reference to fatherhood instead of motherhood. 

A couple of example tweets popping up:

The #powerofdad hastag is for an Oral-B toothbrush ad campaign, which was originally introduced in 2013. The touching new ad for 2014 shows the power of dads again, as they snuggle, hold hands, and engage in lively water gun fights with their kids. It closes with, “You don’t become a father the day your child is born, but in every moment and with every smile that follows,” with a final plug for Oral-B products.

Last year’s ad shows dads with their kids at key moments – from gingerly smiling at a newborn baby to walking a daughter down the aisle. The ad ends, “Every step of the way, Dad’s had a smile for you. Give him the power to keep it that way.” 

More than selling toothpaste, these ads remind us of the big and small moments that fathers play in the lives of children.

My 14-month-old daughter reserves her biggest smiles for when my husband gets home from work, and her belly laughs echo throughout our home whenever he tickles her. And when she was first born, he insisted on changing her diaper about every half an hour. It was ridiculously expensive and probably unnecessary, but it was his way of showing how much he loved and cared for her – he didn’t want her to be even the slightest bit uncomfortable with a wet diaper.

My own dad has also been there for me through many big and small moments. When I was little and couldn’t sleep, he often rocked and sang hymns to me in a big poofy pink rocking chair until I finally drifted off. In high school, every Saturday he scurried around a cross-country running course to cheer me on and record my splits at various points of my race, never missing seeing me cross the finish line. 

He was the only invited guest at my simple wedding, at the local courthouse. And he was there when my daughter was born, with happy crocodile tears in his eyes when I held her for the very first time.

So I am a sucker for a good, nostalgic tribute any day of the year.

With the advent of social media, ad campaigns now run 24/7, and have the ability to re-surface year to year. Marketing to moms still seems to be the thrust of most ad campaigns – except in early June.  And yes, we're 11 days out from the Big Event. But it's never too early to appreciate the role fathers play in our children's lives and the qualities that make a loving father.