Guys & Dolls

Guys & Dolls

For more than 25 years, Wake Forest education professor Linda Nielsen has taught “Fathers and Daughters,” the only college course devoted to the father-daughter dynamic. “Strong daughters don’t just happen,” Nielsen says. “Strong daughters come as a result of having excellent fathering from the time they are infants.”

And Mattel isn’t the first Fortune 500 Company to consult with the father-daughter expert on “Dadvertising.” The marketing team at Pantene cites Nielsen’s research as the inspiration for its popular “Dad-Dos” campaign. The series of ads, featuring how-to videos of pro football players styling their daughters’ hair, debuted before the 2016 Super Bowl and sparked a viral following on social media.

So… when it comes to dads and their daughters, Wake Forest research shows you can forget the macho man stereotype. And real men do play Barbie.

More of Linda Nielsen’s research on fathers and daughters:
STEVE JOBS’ DAUGHTER’S NEW BOOK OFFERS LESSONS ON FORGIVENESS

WFU RESEARCH INSPIRES SUPER BOWL ADS

FATHERS & DAUGHTERS: NOT A TEXTBOOK CASE