If you’re part of the 76% of Americans who celebrated Father’s Day this year (source: NRF), you probably did some research regarding what to buy for the dad in your life. Our list of Most Viewed Videos for Father’s Day 2022 showcases what’s in style for dads, and spoiler alert, it isn’t ties!
What do dads want in 2022?
It can be difficult to shop for dads. While our Mother’s Day MVVA list was dominated mostly by jewellery or floral companies, our top 10 list for Father’s Day 2022 is much more general, focusing on the sentiments around being a father while including a few obvious Father’s Day favorites like home improvement and outdoor recreation, brought to you by The Home Depot and Bass Pro Shops.
This year, consumers spent around 20 billion on gifts, which is about the same as what they spent in 2021 (source: NRF). What is new this year is that only 40% of shoppers are shopping online, with the rest choosing in-person retail or specialty stores (source: The Shelf).
Finally, although it may seem like there is little year-to-year change in the themes surrounding Father’s Day, observant readers will note that this Most Viewed Video Ads list is missing the most ubiquitous of all Father’s Day gifts: The tie. Could work from home to be blame?
Now let’s take a closer look at our list of the Most Viewed Fathers Day ads for 2022.
Most Viewed Video Ads: Father’s Day 2022
| Rank | Brand | Campaign | Release date | Total views |
| 1 | Aviation Gin | Nick Cannon’s Vasectomy | 06/28/2022 | 5,478,824 |
| 2 | Publix | Publix: Father’s Day | 05/20/2022 | 4,327,110 |
| 3 | The Home Depot | The McFarlands | 06/12/2022 | 2,614,876 |
| 4 | Curacao | Dads & Grads Sale 2022 | 06/2/2022 | 1,239,679 |
| 5 | Bass Pro Shops | Happy Father’s Day | 06/2/2022 | 646,326 |
| 6 | Lowe’s | Unbox the Ultimate Father’s Day | 06/3/2022 | 594,200 |
| 7 | Ancestry.com | 2 Lies & A Leaf | 06/8/2022 | 466,243 |
| 8 | Nautica | Nautica Father’s Day | 05/31/2022 | 366,327 |
| 9 | La-Z-Boy | Father’s Day Sale! | 06/7/2022 | 326,187 |
| 10 | Wegmans | Happy Father’s Day, Dad! | 05/19/2022 | 226,105 |
*Data collected by AcuityAds’ True Reach™ insights platform from May 19th – June 6th, 2022
Key Insights
Father’s Day advertising continues to be a booming trend in the ad world. Here are some key insights from the most viewed Father’s Day ads for 2022.
1. Light-hearted humour
Aviation Gin Co-owner Ryan Reynolds made a quick cameo appearance alongside Nick Cannon in our first place ad, Nick Cannon’s Vasectomy. This was the only ad to feature a humorous take on dad’s favorite holiday by introducing a mixed drink called the “vasectomy” to celebrate the many joys of fatherhood.
2. Influencer advertising: An off-the-cuff, informal style
Both The McFarlands by The Home Depot and Unbox the Ultimate Father’s Day by Lowe’s featured a more behind-the-scenes, influencer-style ad. They utilized dialogue that seemed unscripted and shot from the perspective of a phone recording in order to give the impression of being more relatable to audiences. Interestingly, both of these ads also ran on social media other than Youtube (Instagram and Facebook, respectively), pointing to the idea that advertisers understand the finer points of how to market on social media platforms.
3. Keeping it simple
Many of the ads in our list were able to find success by keeping things simple and relating a positive message of Father’s Day celebration, demonstrating that “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” is still an applicable mantra for advertising in 2022. Publix: Father’s Day is a good example, reaching 2nd place on our list by executing well on a simple idea—a child narrator wishing their dad a happy Father’s Day.
4. Web series advertising: Getting to know your fav celebrity duos
Ancestry.com’s 2 Lies & A Leaf was the only ad in our list with a runtime well over that of a standard spot, making it seem like more of a web series than an ad. It features real life father-daughter duo Peter and Kathryn Gallagher answering ‘how well do you know me’ type questions in a game show format. This was only one ad in the 2 Lies & A Leaf campaign, which featuring other celebrity duos.
Can’t get enough of content celebrating dads? Check out our top picks for most viewed ads for 2021.
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About True Reach™ insights platform
Increase total views and time spent on your video campaigns without increasing advertising spend. Our proprietary True Reach™ technology harnesses all publicly available view data on social platforms to track real-time performance and enable decision-making that optimizes your Share of Attention™.
