Dreft

March 3, 2025

Dreft’s Checklist: Why Is Dad Left Out?

When it comes to preparing for a new baby, brands love to be part of the journey. They offer checklists, guides, and must-have products to make the transition smoother. But sometimes they miss a crucial part of the equation: dad.

Take Dreft, the well-known baby laundry detergent brand. On their website, they offer a guide titled “Hospital Bag Checklist for Mom and Baby.” Sounds helpful, right? Except for one glaring omission – dad isn’t mentioned.

Why does this matter?

The title alone sends a message: preparing for birth is a two-person job, but only one person matters. While moms undeniably do the heavy lifting by way of pregnancy and birth, dads are deeply involved in the preparation, support and care. Whether it’s packing essentials, coaching through labor, or being the first to snuggle their newborn, dads aren’t just background characters in this story.

By excluding dads, brands reinforce outdated narratives – ones where fathers are either optional or unprepared. But in reality, modern dads are alive, active and well. They’re hands-on, and they deserve recognition for their role as equal parents.

How brands can do better

Dreft, and brands like it, have an opportunity to shift the narrative. Instead of assuming dads don’t need a hospital checklist, why not include them? A simple “Hospital Bag Checklist for Parents and Baby” would be a step in the right direction.

In the section about support people, they don’t employ the words “dad” or “father” anywhere on the page. By making small tweaks to their messaging, brands can embrace the fact that parenting isn’t just a mom thing – it’s a dad thing, too. Better yet, it’s a team effort.

Dads are ready. Are brands?

Dreft’s exclusion of dads in something as simple as a hospital bag checklist is a small but telling sign of a bigger problem. Fathers are competent, involved parents, and it’s time for brands to acknowledge it.

So, Dreft – how about a quick edit? Because in 2025, dad shouldn’t be an afterthought.

August 14, 2015

Drefting away

When Similac unveiled its “Welcome to the Sisterhood of Motherhood” campaign this past January, there was a faction of dads and moms who lauded the inclusion of fathers in the commercial. It seems they were so ecstatic over not only actually seeing dads in a TV ad – but dads wearing babies – that they might have even been blinded by that awkward, old-fashioned tagline.

Alas, it’s doubtful there’s even one dad who can relate to “the Sisterhood of Motherhood.”

The video was only part of an exhaustive campaign over which we had even stronger thoughts, but unfortunately, Similac uses the same promo yet today as evidenced by its recent full page ad in the July 2015 American Baby magazine.dreft3

In that same magazine (page 41, to be exact), you’ll also find an ad for Dreft laundry detergent, which uses the slogan #AMAZINGHOOD.

That hashtag is a refreshing antidote to the exclusionary tagline used by Similac.

Imagine how different Similac’s campaign might have been if it – rather than using sister and mother – had simply used amazing, or even parent.

We’re not going to give Dreft a total free pass, as it still wants it both ways. Take a gander at dreft.com and click on “Our Story,” where it continues to believe that dads don’t exist. And its maker, P&G, has a steady practice of ignoring dads elsewhere, too.

But we’ll give credit where it’s due, because #AMAZINGHOOD is a fine word choice that doesn’t exclude dads – dads who care for their children and buy Dreft laundry detergent.

Dreft likes to tout that its product “has been trusted by moms for over 80 years,” but we suspect a dad or two has also placed its trust in Dreft over that time.

So, maybe in the next 80 years ahead, Dreft will finally begin to place trust in dads.

Now that would be #amazing.

February 24, 2015

Baby magazines don’t get dads

Imagine you’re in grade school, and despite having done nothing wrong or not having changed one bit, suddenly a group of people you thought were friends stopped involving you, inviting you and talking to you.americanbabypromo

Besides the obvious hurt, you’d probably need to look for a new set of friends. Like it or not, they don’t want any part of you, and you can’t force someone to do something.

Dads have seen this kind of event play out before. It’s exactly what parent and baby magazines do to them all the time.

In the official Dads Don’t Exist publication, otherwise known as American Baby magazine, we found a full page advertisement titled “Baby Registry,” which showcases eight different advertisers. There you’ll find perennial dad snubbers Boppy and Dreft telling readers that dads don’t care for their kids, buy things for their kids, or shop.

It’s no wonder we find skewed, short-sided propaganda like this, because dads are repetitively being told by marketers that they aren’t supposed to be caring for their kids.

And we’re not trying to take sides, but look what kind of mess was created in New York City when its Mayor did. He started a firestorm, creating instant tension by speaking out against the very people in charge of maintaining safety and order. The city had senseless strain (and probably still does) all because one person turned his back on a group of people.

American Baby magazine takes sides in nearly every issue by turning its back on dads, telling them they’re not valid parents.

In the case of dads, they can easily take their business elsewhere without saying a word. So imagine how much even more successful these businesses could be if they started involving, inviting and talking to dads.

October 16, 2014

Dirty laundry

Once again in the ad world, we find that dads don’t exist.dreft1

This time the guilty party is Dreft, who believes that dads don’t fit the gentle, soft, sweet nature of their detergent. Dreft no doubt figured it was much easier to leave dads out of this October 2014 Parents magazine ad, because the ad copy is so gentle, soft and sweet that we figure there’s no way a dad and his rough, tough demeanor could have been a part of writing it.

In fact, had a dad penned it, this is how the ad might have ended up:

EVERY DAY IS AMAZING, isn’t it dads? You’ll never forget the first time you caressed that impossibly shiny beer bottle’s glass, stroked that smooth new golf club you bought, and breathed in the sweet smell of buffalo wings delivered to your man cave by your doting wife. From the very first dreft2moment, the tiny feet on your smart phone holder left a giant footprint on your heart…and you swore you’d protect everything that made you a guy forever.

That’s why, for 80 years, dads haven’t taken care of their kids, but rather have done what they wanted to, when they wanted to, keeping the same schedule and lifestyle as when they were single – it’s a formula that’s tough on the family, but gentle enough for your buddies. Hyper-active while at the sports bar with an outdoorsy-smelling scent, dads bring cuddle time rarely at home, because they really don’t do any level of warm and fuzzy.