Walmart’s Black & Unlimited platform was created to empower their Black consumers, including fathers, by supercharging their unlimited potential. For Father’s Day 2023, we saw an opportunity for the brand to support the Black audience by addressing a perplexing issue. We decided to combat the media’s historically unbalanced and inaccurate portrayal of Black fathers which has led millions of Americans to the incorrect conclusion that most Black dads are absent from their children’s lives. Understanding that the media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing societal norms, we created content to highlight positive representations of Black fatherhood and celebrate the diverse stories and experiences of Black fathers. Through this effort, Walmart is helping redefine the negative narrative surrounding Black fatherhood by emphasizing the significant positive impact Black fathers have within their families and their communities.

To counter a media landscape saturated with images that portray Black men as rough, distant, uncaring fathers who aren’t attentive to their children's needs, we set out to create a piece that profiled an example of calm, nurturing, vulnerable Black dads who are parenting with utmost care and thoughtfulness. The idea was to create an ode to the fully human state of Black men, complete with notions on how Black fathers are evolving family traditions, as well as how Black fathers practice unconventional and expansive approaches to fatherhood. The goal was to make a piece so nuanced, that the viewer is halfway through the film before they recognize that the real message in the piece, is that Black fathers are not only fully committed to the crucial role they play in their kids’ lives, but they are also dedicated to the important role they play in building the Black community.

Despite being consistently misrepresented Black fathers maintain ambitious aspirations for their children. According to a New America Report, 88% of Black fathers think that it’s very important men are active in raising younger children. We set out to celebrate the true essence of Black fatherhood by showing an accurate portrayal of the care and attentiveness Black fathers show their children. To bring authenticity to our effort, we collaborated with emerging filmmaker Jared Malik Royal to create an ode to Black fatherhood, which we showcased at the American Black Film Festival. By partnering with an amazing filmmaker to tell the story of the type of Black fathers that are so often overlooked, and featuring the piece at the preeminent Black film festival, we garnered the added support of respected voices in the film community, creating an underground swell of excitement and reach.

Dear Dad far exceeded benchmarks, racking up 90.7M views and 191M Impressions.