Toyota Camry presents "To Be A Dad" (2015) 3:10 (USA)

Last year, Toyota gave us the One Bold Choice campaign with people driving around in new Toyota Camrys doing very unbold things.

Just in time for the Super Bowl however, they've gone and done something interesting, by getting the car out of the mix and focusing on dads. This documentary style ad features dads. That's it. Dads talking about how they've made the bold choice to be a dad.

If you are asking "how is it a bold choice to be a dad" then I congratulate you for being in the 2% community of kids who grew up in perfect households. The rest of us weren't so lucky, and ended up vowing to be dads in order to prove our own parents wrong.
This documentary however, celebrates a lot of dads. Those who were lucky enough to have dads present in their lives and wanted to continue the awesomeness. Those who were orphans. Those who have special needs children. The list goes on and the story unfolds effortlessly until you can't help but cry at the end.

And here's something interesting, too. There are athletes here. MVP Kurt Warner. Former linebacker LaVar Arrington, Running back Fred Jackson. And defensive end DeMarcus Ware. But they never get a brighter spotlight. In this context famous and regular Joe are the same: Vulnerable. Loving. Grateful. Wearing the scars from their own upbringing, or making their own fathers proud by continuing to share their values with the next generation.

And above all, they're parental.

As much as I liked Peanut Butter Cheerios' How To Dad for portraying males as being something other than dumb, what it lacked for me was any deeper understanding. It was all in good fun, but never too serious and in the end it came across as being seriously sheltered. The Peanut Butter Cheerios dad is fun! Droppin' g's and hashtaggin' n' shit.

But this spot, is unafraid to show us real emotions, and real people who have gone through the wringer of life and come out alive. This spot shows us good, bad, ugly and real. This spot never exploits us with its subject matter (the kids), but instead reveals the kids one by one, and allows us to take it all in without being force fed some heavy line. And though my one critique is this has zero to do with Toyota Camry, in the end that's what really makes it a good spot. Toyota got out of its own marketing way and presented us actual content worth talking about. If that isn't bold, I don't know what is.

Client: Toyota
VP, Toyota Marketing Jack Hollis
VP, Toyota Marketing & Communications Alec Hagey
Vehicle Marketing & Communications & Manager - Rick LoFaso, Ann Masse
Ethan Leighton, Camry Jessica Geremia, Kristen Creager
Director, Toyota Social Media Strategy & Operations Monica Peterson
Manager, Toyota Social Media Strategy & Operations Florence Drakton
Social Media Marketing Planner Brian Carroll
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, LA
CCO: Jason Schragger
CD: Erich Funke
ACD: John Kritch
Senior Copywriter: Nick Cade
Director of Content: Sara Seibert
Integrated Executive Producer: Margaret Nickerson
Social Executive Producer: Jordana Reim
Senior Integrated Producer: Amy Jo Deguzis
Director of Print & Integrated Art Services: Cindy Rowe
Art Producer: Jennifer Lamping
Senior Project Manager: Jill Savage
Group Account Director: Erica Baker
Account Director: Carla Tanchum
Social Account Director: Bryan DeSena
Account Supervisor: Benjamin Ortega
Account Supervisor: Melissa Green
Account Executive: Tracey Horwitz
Account Coordinator: Patrick Gregory
Social Engagement Manager: Elizabeth Swiontek
Strategic Planning Director: Evan Ferrari
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Chelsea Pictures
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jonathan Gribetz
PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTION COMPANY: Allison Amon
Line Producer: Shanah Blevins
DIRECTOR: Lauren Greenfield
EDITING COMPANY: Cutters LA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Darren Jaffe
PRODUCER: Wendy Umanzor
EDITOR: Kathryn Hempel
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Anil Baral
FINISH: Flavor
FINISH PRODUCER: Sarah Casillas
TELECINE: Company 3, Dave HusseyUpdated 9/17/2014
MUSIC: Barking Owl/APM
SOUND DESIGN: MIX: Barking Owl
ILLUSTRATOR:
iPHOTOGRAPHER: Adam Rose