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If you loved Dove Men + Care's touching ad from last Father's Day, you'll either be disappointed or excited to hear what the brand has in store for the Super Bowl.
The Unilever brand won't be rolling out new creative at this year's Super Bowl. Instead, the marketing team has freshened up its popular spot from June 2014 and will run it during the Big Game. The move gets more mileage out of a strong video, but it's also a bit of a letdown for those hoping to see something new.
Now with the hashtag #RealStrength (versus the #RealDadMoments used last June), the spot has subtly shifted in focus from fathers to men in general.
"90 percent of men around the world say that their caring side is part of their masculinity and strength," notes the Super Bowl ad's description on YouTube. "Let's acknowledge the caring side of men and celebrate their #RealStrength as a true sign of masculinity."
The written text in the ad has changed a bit to match that messaging of caring being a central aspect of masculinity, while the earlier spot ended with, "Isn't it time we celebrate dads?" The new ad ends a bit more jarringly, with a voice-over announcing, "Dove Men + Care: Care makes a man stronger," plus a message encouraging viewers to share stories of "how care makes you stronger" with the #RealStrength hashtag.
With a spot as good as the original, it's easy to see why parent company Unilever might have wanted to play it safe and repurpose the spot for more mainstream exposure. But it's not like the original was overlooked—it has amassed 12.3 million views on YouTube since being posted.
Here's the new spot, which a brand spokesperson confirmed today will air during the Super Bowl, followed by the original from June 2014: