Dads is a joyful exploration of modern fatherhood that depicts vibrant and emotional true stories of dads from around the world who challenge cultural norms and stereotypes. The film features a Greek chorus of celebrity dads such as Will Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Jimmy Kimmel, Kenan Thompson, Jimmy Fallon, and Neil Patrick Harris, who add hilarious commentary and heartfelt reflections on their fatherhood experiences. Also running throughout the film's narrative is director Bryce Dallas Howard's deeply personal storytelling around the dads in her own family: her father, Ron Howard (also the film's producer), her grandfather Rance, and her brother Reed (a new dad).

Dove Men+Care commissioned a study from Promundo, an NGO dedicated to global issues around gender equality, which found that fathers want to do their share of the caregiving at home but limiting societal expectations and media stereotypes hold them back. This is particularly true in many large countries, such as the US and Brazil, where there is a cultural stigma around taking paternity leave. While 85% of dads said they would do anything to be more involved with their child, only 1 in 5 dads has access to one single day of paternity leave, which is often seen as a privilege rather than a right. Using this insight, Dove Men+Care set out to challenge stereotypes and celebrate engaged, involved fathers as aspirational role models. To do this, the brand stepped outside the world of traditional advertising and into pop culture to ignite a cultural conversation about modern fatherhood.