This document discusses how brands are more accurately depicting the challenges of modern parenting in their advertising. Technology has given children access to information at younger ages, shifting the balance of power in the parent-child dynamic. A Spark ad shows kids using voice assistants to discover their parents have not been truthful. Gaining a child's attention can also be difficult due to devices, as shown in a Dolmio ad depicting a "battle of dinnertime." Technology allows for emotional connections, like in a BT ad where a father-daughter gaming session relies on a mobile hotspot. A Barbie ad addresses the "dream gap" and societal norms that discourage girls' ambitions. In summary, parenting is challenging but brands that empath

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Parenting has always been one of the most difficult roles we could chose to take on, and
it’s not getting any easier. Parents today face many of the same challenges their parents
did, from holding a child’s attention to enforcing household rules; but as with so much of
our lives today, these challenges are augmented and complexified by the environment we
live in. In the exhausting context of parenting, these extra complexities push every day
challenges towards becoming downright ridiculous.
Brands are starting to more accurately reflect the challenges parents face today, in order
to support and build relationships with modern parents - who arguably, desperately need
support from somewhere. Several BBDO clients are doing well in navigating this territory:
THE BATTLE FOR POWER
Technology is ubiquitous - 98% of kids in the US under the age of eight live in homes with
mobile devices and a TV1
. And the technology that is entering our lives today is
increasingly so intuitive that even the youngest of children can master it:
“Today’s kids are going to grow up with voice assistants as a
normal part of their lives, just like 90s kids did with mobile
phones, and 80s kids with the internet.” – Sarah Williams,
brand COE lead, Spark2
Parents have always had to contend with children fighting back against what is good for
them, but today, the children are armed with tools – in the form of connectivity and
information.
Spark, “Generation Voice Is Here,” by Colenso BBDO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vaNl5d4rjk
The latest spot from the New Zealand telecoms provider depicts children asking voice
assistants about information their parents have told them. Each child discovers that their
parent hasn’t been telling the truth—the internet doesn’t really turn off at night, and the
TV doesn’t only work when it’s raining. These answers equip the children with powerful
knowledge, leading to a grave young boy confronting his mother: “We need to talk.”
1
https://www.ajc.com/news/world/study-the-amount-time-kids-spend-mobile-screens-has-tripled-
years/ayIjSw8Vi6bBp9LK9xebkK/ 2
https://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/11/05/ads-we-kids-ask-the-big-questions-sparks-generation-voice-campaign

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Children have always eventually discovered that not everything their parents have told
them is strictly true, but with the intuitive nature of technology today, they have access to
information younger than ever. If knowledge is power, the ad brings humour to this
frankly terrifying transition of power, while promoting the ease of use of voice assistants.
THE BATTLE FOR ATTENTION
A classic dilemma only made worse by the added distraction of mobile gaming,
messaging and increasingly immersive toys, just gaining your child’s attention can be
quite the task; convincing them to sit down for dinner can be a parent’s routine nightmare.
Dolmio, “The Battle of Dinnertime,” by AMV BBDO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7OURewHSNU
A full-out battle erupts as parents and children face off in this Dolmio spot by AMV BBDO.
An army of parents try to convince their children to come to dinner while the children
fight back with marshmallow guns, incessant selfie-taking, and other dinner-impeding
activities. The chaos is only halted when a Dolmio flag appears on the battlefield, wielded
by a brave parent who offers the solution: a peace-making spaghetti meal made with
Dolmio sauce. The relatable ad offers a solution to this enduring challenge today.
THE NEED TO CONNECT
However, for most parents, their relationships with their children are not just defined by
the battles, but by a uniquely life-enhancing connection. But even this may be harder
today - as well as technology draining all of your children’s attention, many parents face
the added challenge of building relationships with a child they don’t live with. With 42% of
marriages ending in divorce in the UK3
, technology can be an emotional point of
connection within families.
BT, “Keep Connected,” by AMV BBDO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fORPlLjHHM
BT’s latest ad tells the story of a young girl being dropped off at “Dad’s Place.” The father-
daughter pair embark on a seemingly well-practised pre-game ritual, with their favourite
video game clearly a source of bonding for the two. As the game powers up, the internet
goes down, and both are visibly disappointed—but Dad is quick to the rescue with BT’s
back-up 4G mini hub, which re-establishes their internet connection and allows their fun
3 https://www.rainscourt.com/interesting-statistics/

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to continue. The ability for technology to connect us is incredibly powerful, and this ad
brings this to life in an emotional way.
THE NEED TO SUPPORT
As well as the challenges parents face in daily interactions with their children, bigger
challenges exist within society that parents have to face. If children are to meet their full
potential, they need encouragement and support; but the reality is that they can be
impeded by societal norms which often run so deep they impact parents own behaviour.
Barbie, “The Dream Gap Project,” by BBDO San Francisco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpLT8bEQ78A
In the latest Barbie ad by BBDO San Francisco, a group of young girls call on parents,
brothers and bosses to help “close the dream gap” - the disparity that comes between
girls and their full potential. The spot articulates the adversity young girls often face in
imagining the future’s possibilities, from being less likely to receive a science-related toy
to facing lower expectations from their parents.
The spot is the latest in Barbie campaign to empower young girls, with Barbie functioning
as both an advocate and tool change. The campaign caters to parents desires for their
child to realise their potential, and ultimately, to succeed.
IN SUMMARY
The relationships between parents and children is one of the most emotionally powerful
journeys that we embark on as humans. But it is difficult, filled with challenges that many
could not have foreseen when they decided to have a child – and that would often be
almost impossible to articulate to non-parent friends.
These brands have brought to life the challenges parents face in a very relatable way,
providing support and driving conversations. Parenting is hard, brands that sympathise,
and empathise in an authentic way, and raise a smile in doing so, will win out.

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If you are interested in learning more about the subject of this article, please contact
Sarah Emmerson, Insights Planner, emmersons@bbdoknows.com
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