Why did Toyota put the spotlight on dads with its Superbowl ads?

My son Justin is a hands on dad. Check out the look on both of their faces. They are close.

There seems to be a revolution going on right under our noses in cultural thinking about the role of dads.  Ten years ago this new thinking about fathers surfaced and then it seemed to go away.

This past weekend, Superbowl ads by Toyota billboarded this new fatherhood movement that has been gathering steam around the country.  The ads made dads look important and billboarded their role in the family and in the lives of their kids.  The commercials were classy and not cheesy.

My son is tied into a group of young dads around the country who are there for their kids and for their wives.  My son-in-law is the same way.  One of my favorite pictures is one of him and his son who was still a toddler.  In one hand, he held a basketball and in the other, he held his son's hand as they walked around a track.

There are many more examples from around the country, including dad's groups which are starting to supplant mom's groups.  

I'm sure that Toyota did plenty of research before they produced their Super Bowl ads.  So, what did they see about their customer base.  Young dads who are active in their kids' lives?  I bet that was the case.

Grandfathers:  It would be fun if somebody did ads like that for us.  What about Honda?  Are you listening?  Lots of baby-boomers driving Hondas.