Bonding with Dads
Film scenarios about the roles of Dads in family relationships offer promising brand kinship opportunities for engaging story portrayals of heartwarming human truths, or amusing anecdotes, that are often viewed with personal recollections of smiling familiarity.
1. McDonald’s, Superhero
Advertising Agency: TBWA, Madrid, Spain
Production Company: Blank Films, Barcelona, Spain
The insightful McDonald’s ‘Superhero’ commercial, directed by filmmakers Henrik Sundgren, and Félix Fernández de Castro, centres on how a son’s appreciation of his Dad evolves over time.
The scenario about occasions spent together at McDonald’s that evoke happy memories of father and son bonding, is a warmly relatable human story as seen through a son’s eyes from his idolising youth, to his rebellious adolescent years, and eventual adulthood.
2. Bouygues Telecom, Navidad
Advertising Agency: BETC, Paris, France
Production Company: Henry, Paris, France
Bouygues Telecom is a mobile network operator, and internet service provider, based in Paris, France.
Directed by filmmaker Martin Werner, the ‘Navidad’ scenario centres on a free-spirited Dad, who loves to ’groove’ to ‘Come and get your love’, from the Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movie soundtrack, produced by the American funk rock band, Redbone.
The festive season Bouygues Telecom commercial, is a fresh and amusing celebration of of a Dad’s quirky, upbeat approach to life, that comes full circle with his son and grandchild.
The creatively inspired scenario, and impressively produced commercial, motivated a global tally of over 180 million, multi-screen views.
3. McDonald’s, The Door
Advertising Agency: TBWA, Paris, France
Production Company: Hellostranger, Paris, France
Skilfully directed by New Zealand filmmaker Louis Sutherland, the originally tilled “La Porte” commercial, centres on a scenario of a caring Dad’s reassurance to his young daughter of his loving devotion.
When he notices her unhappiness of feeling sidelined in favour of her younger sibling, it’s time for some happy bonding at McDonald’s.
“La Porte” is a keenly observed and astutely conceived film of human insight that has been admirably portrayed with subtlety and much charm.
The soundtrack features the song “Ding Dung Dong” composed by Jérôme Plasseraud.
4. Bell’s Whisky, The Reader
Advertising Agency: King James, Cape Town, South Africa
Production Company: Velocity Films, Cape Town, South Africa
The heartwarming scenario was directed by filmmaker Greg Grey, who brought the excellently portrayed story of resilient fatherly pride to emotive life.
The Bell’s Whisky campaign’s selling line, “Give that man a Bell’s”, has become an imbedded catchphrase in South Africa’s social culture, for honouring noble achievements, with raised glasses of Scotland’s finest.
5. Volkswagen, Generations
Advertising Agency: Very Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark
Production Company: Shoot Happens, Frederiksberg, Denmark
The ‘Generations’ short film, written and directed by filmmaker Sune Sorensen, is about the emotional attachment many Danes have for Volkswagen as part of their family’s history and memories.
The scenario centres on a conflicted relationship between a father and son. It is only when they undertake a road trip together in a 1979 Volkswagen Beetle, that they begin to sort out their unresolved issues and misunderstandings of each other.
Sune Sorensen’s insightful, excellently written script, and depiction of a significant time in their lives, are portrayed by an excellent Danish cast with an emotional depth of touching reality, that family relationships are rarely without some complicated conflict.