New dads get brutally honest in Aussie campaign on fatherhood

AUSTRALIA - For centuries mothers have known that their lives would never be the same after the arrivals of their bundles of joy. Today, dads juggling parenting and work too have discovered that their lives have been turned upside down with colicky babies and sleep deprivation.

J. Walter Thompson has teamed up with Australian mental-health organisation Beyondblue in a web series titled 'Dadvice' to help novice dads cope with the challenges of being new parents. Developed in partnership with Princess Pictures, the four-part series, co-hosted by Australian comedians Ben Lomas, Dave O’Neil, Sammy J and Lawrence Moone, all dads themselves, follows 12 fathers as they candidly discuss the many challenges of their new reality.

While 'Dadvice' may perpetuate the popular cultural stereotype of a fumbling dad, Hugh Miller, Beyondblue integrated marketing manager, said the series shows the reality of fatherhood for many men—not always a glossy picture. "There are pressures that need to be dealt with, and 'Dadvice' aims to provide this guidance to men trying to find their feet as a dad," Miller said. "It encourages new dads to speak about how they are feeling, rather than bottle their stress up."

As men take on more responsibilities in parenting compared to their fathers before them, emerging studies suggest that new fathers are not spared from postpartum depression. A recent article in the University of Massachusetts' Journal of Parent and Family Mental Health mentioned studies implying that 4 to 25 percent of fathers experience paternal postpartum depression.

Presented through video diaries, roundtable discussion and live comedy, 'Dadvice' looks at how the four aspects of the dad's life—work, mates, relationships and the dad himself—change post-fatherhood.

"'Dadvice' is about intervening early," Miller said. "It’s about giving men the strategies to manage their stress as a new dad before things escalate to a crisis point. When a dad is feeling on top of things, he is better placed to be a supportive partner and involved dad—which is good for the entire family.”

The campaign, which includes digital, social and PR as well as the videos and website, launched on Australia's Fathers Day (4 September) and will run through mid-October.

CREDITS

Beyondblue:
General manager marketing and communications: Janine Scott
Manager integrated marketing: Hugh Miller

J. Walter Thompson:
Executive Creative Director: Kieran Antill
Creative Directors: Jess Lilley and Jim Walsh
Head of Digital: Mat Norton
Senior Account Manager: Tahnee Woodham
Senior Planner: Brigitte Bayard
Head of Integrated Design: Ander Hernando
Agency Producer: Sandi Gracin
Agency Editor (Marketing): Dave Wade
Digital Producer: Ruth Parsons
Stills Photographer: Benny Capp
Production Partner: Princess Pictures
Series Producer: Dave Dellar
Series Director: Nick Musgrove
Series Line Producer: Antje Kulpe
Series DOP: Joanne Donahoe
Series Editor: Ian Carmichael
Series Editorial Assistant: Alta Truden
Associate Producer: Hammy Goodman