This year for Father’s Day we’re all about showing Dad some love. There’s a very good chance we’ll still sell a few ‘Happy Farters Day’ cards, but is that all there is to Dad? Of course not. We’re here in 2023, and we think dads deserve heartfelt cards too. In this article we will discuss a shift in consumer behaviour, as well as look at some shining examples of creators who hit the nail on the head with their Father’s Day cards from the heart.
So why have so many Father’s Day cards been about golf and beer? Why do we think that’s changed? Well, really it comes down to our changing relationship with masculinity and the father figure. If we look to the more distant past – that’s pre-footie-and-farts cards – fathers were primarily seen as the breadwinners and disciplinarians of the household. The idea of giving them a jokey, mocking card was out of the question. Respect was the order of the day!
But times changed, and the role of women moved, gradually, away from being solely homemakers and caregivers. The template of masculinity handed down to our grandfathers and fathers (depending on how old you are, reader!) began to clash with the reality of modern living. And so, a contradiction: the manly disciplinarian who does the hoovering. The stoic authoritarian in marigold gloves. For our modern dad, it’s a contradiction they’re aware of, on some level. And for the modern dad’s kids? Well, where there’s contradiction, there’s fun to be had! And so: footie and farting.
What about masculinity? We know our model of masculinity has changed over the decades, and it’s continuing to change right now. This is a big topic… a bit too big for this blog post! What we can say here is that our society is becoming more aware that men do need love and affection. That masculinity isn’t threatened, but rather harmonised, by care. And we’re coming to understand the problems that arise when men are raised without the emotional care they deserve.
We’ve also seen a shift since the lockdown periods of 2020, and continued impact of the pandemic into 2021 and 2022. Last year we saw a 142% increase in the number of clicks on our ‘From the Heart’ Father’s Day category, and we expect to see a further increase this year. We think that, for a lot of us, we saw a different side to Dad. In particular we’ve seen father figures forced, as we all were, into a new situation that required greater emotional care, both given and received.
Many of us were forced to consider the mortality of our loved ones, much earlier than most of us would have to. For those of us who were lucky enough to have emerged from the most intense period of the pandemic without losing family members, we’ve gained a new appreciation of their role in our lives. For a lot of us, that’s manifested a closer, more emotional, relationship with Dad
So, back to cards. Given all of the above, is it now wrong to send a jokey, blokey card to Dad? Of course not. Our customers know their relationship with their dads better than we ever will, and they should send a card that fits their own connection.
But we think there can be more to Father’s Day cards. Again, given all of the above, we know there’s now plenty of room for cards that show love, and express feelings that are still difficult to say out loud. Plus, if you’re going to go to the effort of expressing something which, let’s face it, can still be a bit awkward, why not do it on Father’s Day?
So let’s show Dad some love this Father’s Day. We think we’ll all stand to benefit.
We hope this blog post explains a little about our thinking for Father’s Day 2023. And we hope it gives you some food for thought, and some thought for designs! You can upload your Father’s Day cards HERE.
To finish up, here’s some great examples of heartfelt Father’s Day cards.
If you found this post useful, we’d love to know – [email protected] or @thortfulcreators on Instagram. And if you need some visual inspiration, don’t forget to check out our Father’s Day Lookbook.
With heartfelt affection,
Team thortful.
