The father-son relationship is rarely tackled by brands. As “toxic masculinity” spreads throughout the UK, capturing young men in a nasty grip, McCain has just released its second father and son commercial – the first a heartwarming moment of father-son connection through playfulness, the second a more earnest reminder for dads to keep their sons close, using the emotional power of sharing laughter – and chips.

adam&eve\TBWA’s new campaign, The Dad Joke Effect, was created in collaboration with charity partner, Beyond Equality, and features real dads and sons from around the UK in a new 60-second TVC, as well as TV personality Joe Marler and his son Jasper in a portrait series shot by Rankin that is running in OOH.

The Dad Joke Effect began with an insight from experts at Beyond Equality, a charity working to change toxic male attitudes of men and boys towards gender equality. The insight notes the pivotal shift that happens in boys between the ages of 7–11, and how fathers can help keep their boys close as they grow towards their teenage years. In childhood, boys have a wide range of emotional expression but during middle childhood they begin to edit their emotional behaviour, influenced by older men, the media and their peers. This shift can cause the playful bond with their father to fade as boys reach adolescence.

The report found that 55% of dads to boys aged 7-11-year-old feel pressure to raise their son to fit traditional masculine stereotypes, the study finds. And 63% worry that their son will drift away in their teenage years. 54% said that they want a deeper relationship with their son but don’t know where to start. To help dads keep their boys close, the campaign encourages father figures to use the power of playfulness and make their son laugh every day.

The full campaign includestalent-led content, creator collaborations and short-form social films inspired by the everyday banter, rituals and moments of humour that shape father-son relationships. This social-first approach captures the warmth, silliness and familiarity of those interactions in ways that feel authentic to each platform. Accompanying this are influencer partnerships with father figures and family creators from across the UK adding their real moments of connection and encouraging dads to ‘keep the jokes coming’ as their boys move towards their teenage years. To help dads experience the power of shared laughter with their sons, McCain will also launch a one-night-only comedy Club Night headlined by Josh Widdicombe on July 1, with tickets on sale for a £5 donation to Beyond Equality.

The hero commercial was directed by Minds Eye director, Jim Archer, and the campaign will run across VOD, social/digital (including Instagram, TikTok & Facebook), OOH, earned and influencer until June 10. adam&eve\TBWA developed the creative; PHD managed media; McCann, social & influencer; and Freuds earned & talent.