Beyond dad jokes: What it takes to truly connect on Father's Day

In the Philippines, where family is sacrosanct, the marketing machinery whirs to full speed every May to mark Mother’s Day. It’s a season awash with emotion: teary commercials, lavish campaigns, and surging retail activity. Come June, however, Father’s Day enters quietly - often with a witty ad or a modest sale.

But this isn’t just about budget. It’s also about culture, gender expectations, and how deeply rooted norms continue to shape marketing choices in the country.

According to a YouGov study, 64% of respondents across 17 international markets said they celebrate Father’s Day, with 43% citing personal meaning as the key reason, well ahead of external factors such as social media (5%) and advertising (4%).

To explore this further, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke with brand leaders, creatives, and strategists to understand how they’re approaching - and rethinking - the missed opportunities of Father’s Day marketing.

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The simplicity in celebration is reflected across platforms. Maxine Adriana Casaclang, brand communications and campaigns strategy lead at Globe Telecom, put it plainly: “Father’s Day is not celebrated on the same scale as Mother’s Day.”

She pointed to the tonal difference in marketing strategies - Mother’s Day campaigns are “high-emotion and high-spend,” while Father’s Day efforts are often “understated, grounded, or even meme-driven.”

According to Don Romualdo Gaoiran, content head at Engkanto Brewery, the celebration gap is more about form than feeling. “The enthusiasm is the same since a lot of Filipino families are close-knit,” he said. “But the celebration among families tends to be simpler for Father’s Day.”

Gaoiran attributed this partly to spending habits: “Filipino dads typically prioritise essentials... before considering a mini splurge to celebrate an occasion made for them.”

Masculinity, media, and market assumptions

A common thread for these experts is the role of traditional masculinity in muting emotional expression. “Fathers are typically seen as providers - strong, steady, and emotionally reserved,” said John Brylle Bae, research director at The Fourth Wall.

Media reinforces this divide, he added. In popular culture - be it in teleseryes, music, or viral campaigns - mothers are typically portrayed as selfless and nurturing figures. Fathers, on the other hand, are often cast in supporting roles, either as stern authority figures or light-hearted comic relief.

“While Filipino society often follows patriarchal norms in terms of structure, many households are actually matrifocal in practice - with the mother serving as the emotional anchor, caregiver, and household decision-maker,” Bae said. Mothers also tend to oversee household spending and manage the family’s budget.

This sentiment is echoed by JM Miranda, VP of business development and content at Arcade Film Factory. “Media has often portrayed dads to be either a strict or a funny one,” he noted, “rarely showing their deep emotional connection with their kids.” Meanwhile, mothers are seen as the “ilaw ng tahanan” (light of the home) - the emotional anchors.

As a result, marketers often default to humour and practicality. Think: “dad jokes” over “dad tributes.” Products geared towards fathers tend to emphasise utility rather than indulgence or affection.

The budget gap and strategic realities

The budget divide is sharp. Mother’s Day attracts big-spend, multi-platform campaigns. While both occasions see activity across digital and retail channels, brands tend to reserve their most prominent storytelling and flagship campaigns for Mother’s Day, where audience engagement is generally stronger, Miranda explained.

And yet, the potential is still there. Brands can be “more intentional and creative” with Father’s Day budgets, Casaclang argued. They have an opportunity to go further - challenging traditional stereotypes and presenting a more meaningful, refreshed view of fatherhood.

A 2023 study by The Fourth Wall, in partnership with Packworks, revealed that demand for indulgent items such as ice cream and beverages spiked by over 200% on Mother’s Day - highlighting how the occasion is closely tied to comfort, reward, and emotional resonance. By contrast, Father’s Day purchases remain more utilitarian, typically centred on alcohol, tools, or tech gadgets. This offers an opportunity for brands willing to challenge that default.

Reframing fatherhood

Brands serious about creating meaningful Father’s Day campaigns must start by challenging the dominant narrative. For Bae, it’s not about manufacturing emotion, but about capturing the evolving role of modern Filipino fathers.

“If only brands can reframe fatherhood, it could break the clutter of communications and spark a powerful cultural shift. It’s about time we show dads as emotionally present, vulnerable, and deeply impactful,” said Casaclang.

Campaigns such as Globe’s #LetDadKnow attempted to do just that. Rooted in the familiar image of fathers as reserved or emotionally distant, the campaign spotlighted the idea that dads, when given the chance, have more to give than we realise. By encouraging children to reach out and connect, the campaign struck a chord, garnering millions of views.

Some of these experts agreed that campaigns that succeed root themselves in “a strong insight.” They cited McDonald’s Philippines as a consistent leader in striking a commercial-emotional balance. Jollibee’s 2022 Father’s Day tribute, Portraits, is also seen as a standout example of emotional storytelling done right.

F&B brands have the upper hand as natural emotional anchors, bringing dads and families together at the dinner table. Beers such as Engkanto Brewery, Gaoiran emphasised, are deeply embedded in everyday moments with Filipino fathers - well beyond a single calendar event.

Meanwhile, laying the groundwork through early campaign rollouts and aligning with credible voices can strengthen a brand’s message - especially when executed with clarity and purpose. Still, Gaoiran cautioned that influencer-led content must be handled with care. “Credibility of influencers might be put on a litmus test,” he said.

A cultural shift in the making?

Encouragingly, the landscape appears to be shifting - if slowly. “The younger generation tends to be more expressive,” Miranda observed. “There’s a growing appreciation for fathers who are more present and hands-on in their parenting.” User-generated campaigns, such as those inviting “letters to dad,” could also gain traction. The secret may lie in authenticity, not artifice.

Despite marketing’s historically soft approach to Father’s Day, a recent global study by YouGov revealed that the day still carries deep personal meaning for many, with almost half of those celebrating it saying they do so because of its personal significance. This suggests that sentiment does exist - it’s just waiting for the right storytelling to surface it.

Interestingly, Gen Z and Millennials were even more likely to cite meaning as their main motivator - at 51% and 49%, respectively. This could reflect a growing appetite among younger consumers for more emotionally resonant narratives around fatherhood.

But as Bae noted, the most effective campaigns don’t ask dads to cry on cue. “They made it easier for others to say, ‘I see you.’ And that, culturally, is already a powerful step.”

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