Who’s the daddy?

Father’s Day gets a hammering

What?: Do you have an embarrassing dancing dad? Well put him to work and you could net $5,000, as Hallmark embarks on the “Daddy Of All Dance-Offs” in promotional activity for Father’s Day.

The live platform will enable dads to shake their ‘thang’ to MC Hammer’s ‘U Can’t Touch This’ across a number of US cities. Submissions can also be uploaded online, whereby the viral winner will join the finalists from the three city-wide events and participate in a live dance-off prior to Father’s Day. Dance routines can be no more than one-minute in length and must be “family-oriented in their content and presentation”.

Bose Wave Radios, iPod Nanos, and a Sharp AQUOS 42” HD LCD TV are also up for grabs alongside the prize money.

So what?: Although championing Dad Rock, it’s a little confusing as to who this is aimed at. Children videoing their embarrassing parents hits the target card-buying market, but the dads themselves dancing live seems a touch off the mark. How the whole activity is meant to generate physical cards sales also isn’t clear. The terms and conditions demand that “competitors’ attire must be appropriate for family viewing”. So make sure your MC Hammer-style parachute pants stay up.

“The relentless positivity of this is infectious, and dad-dancing is ripe fodder for gentle ribbing. I suspect the English version of this may have been a little darker, with Dads in stained white vests slipping over on the sweet sherry wine they’ve spilled while shouting at ‘junior’ to turn the camera off.”
Ant Swede, Creative Planner, FRUKT

www.movedad.com