New dad stress is seldom talked about but a new campaign from Beyondblue aims to shed some light on the issue.
The four-part web series, by J Walter Thompson Melbourne, targets new dads and aims to help them with a subject that they grapple with daily but is rarely talked about.
It is hosted by comedian Ben Lomas who is joined by other comedians, Dave O'Neil, Sammy J and Lawrence Mooney as they follow 12 dads with babies ranging from two weeks to two years.
Beyondblue manager of integrated marketing Hugh Miller says: “Dadvice shows the reality of fatherhood for many men – it’s 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. It encourages new dads to speak about how they are feeling, rather than bottle their stress up.”
The content incorporates new dad video diaries, round table discussions and live comedy and each addresses a key pillar of mens' lives that can be impacted by fatherhood including work, mates and relationships.
The series runs, alongside more detailed information, as well as a test new dads can take to determine whether they should seek further help to address their mental health.
JWT Melbourne creative team Jess Lilley and Jim Walsh says the idea came from research which supported the use of comedy as the catalyst for a discussion around dad stress, helping to ensure new dads felt comfortable acknowledging an issue they would ordinarily keep to themselves.
“We needed an idea that new dads could see themselves in; an idea they could relate to and wanted to share. At the same time, the conversation needed to be honest and go quite deep, touching on subjects men don’t generally discuss, without being too confronting. Comedy is the perfect vehicle,” the duo says.
JWT Melbourne ECD Kieran Antill believes Dadvice is an example of where agencies need to go to create meaningful content.
“We’ve moved out of the traditional agency comfort zone to create something original, exciting and impactful, that’s closer to TV than advertising,” Antill says. “This is where we need to be to remain relevant to consumers today.”
The online campaign appears on both paid and unpaid channels, and is supported by other elements including, digital and social campaigns plus media and PR. The campaign commences on Father’s Day and will rollout until mid-October.
