Huggies Features Dads On Diaper Boxes For The First Time, Ever

Huggies knows dads are all in on diaper duty, too

When it comes to marketing and packaging for baby items, everything is all about the moms. Huggies is making news this week for including dads, too. For the first time ever, dads will be featured on the popular diaper brand’s boxes of diapers.

Parenting is a joint effort, and dads are involved parents — gone are the Mad Men-esque days of everything baby-related falling on mom’s shoulders. Which is why it’s awesome that such a huge brand recognizes the importance of recognition.

“Our goal with the packaging and the campaign is to recognize the amazing job parents are doing and we’re proud that the boxes provided a way to feature the important role dads play in families,” Sarah Inbau, Huggies Brand Manager tells Scary Mommy. “And based on the response, we know it’s started a conversation, and even better, a celebration of dads.”

There are seven different box designs – three with men and babies and four with women and babies – in the new premium diaper line, Special Delivery. The new look of the diaper box definitely stands out among all the soft pastel colors they and other brands have used before. The new boxes, which rolled out on store shelves earlier this month, have already been met with viral praise online.

“Huggies done went and put a black father on the package of their diapers,” writes Joe Flowers Jr. in his viral Facebook post. He notes that this is a “first in history” and is so impressed, he says he’s going to buy the box of diapers “for no reason whatsoever.” LOL. Totally reasonable, though!

Flowers tells USA Today that seeing fathers represented in this way made him happy, especially black fathers. “I know we actually take care of our children just as much as the mom sometimes, so I was just proud to see a representation of that in the stores,” he says. “I would absolutely love for more fathers to be shown on products because we use them as well. I know for me it was a good feeling to see someone like me represented on a package.”

Gender stereotypes used in marketing is a tactic as old as time, and a harmful one. The United Kingdom recently passed a ban on using sexist stereotypes in advertising because, whether we’re aware of it or not, these stereotypes and tropes are influential. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority doubled down on the ban by saying it’s necessary because “gender stereotypes can play a part in limiting people’s potential.”

“We are especially proud to have dads on Huggies packaging for the first time,” Inbau says.

, Bravo, Huggies, for giving dads their due.