My wife is out of town on business this week. So I have taken over control of the captain’s chair in the family mini-van. Zipping to/from work, from soccer practice to playdates, I am now one of those guys on the road or in the parking lot I at times observed, but never understood. “Why would someone who acts like he’s so stylish and confident be driving THAT thing!?” Oh, I know why.
Many of us modern-day dads have been uplifted by recent ad campaigns, articles and PR attempts to make the mini-van appear more cool for the broad consumer base. There have even been clever social media communities and blogs that have grown out of this concept (many of us love the Minivan Men podcast). I think each of them is genius (I still love last year’s Toyota “Swagger Wagon” campaign where the parent proudly proclaims, “I get ‘hot nanny’ from people a lot”). But the ad campaign that I fondly remember every time I put on my sunglasses and tear out of my driveway in the vehicle with the world’s most un-cool reputation is a set of Volvo ads (admittedly for a station-wagon, and not a mini-van) from years ago. A caring, but stressed-out, father ran from soccer practice to swim meet in his mini-van, cheering on each of his kids while trying to hold onto a sense of style. The campaign was designed for yuppies, but it got through to me. I realized every time I saw that ad that there is nothing more “on-trend” than having the right tools to get the job done right.
So while my wife and I fought the mini-van choice for years, and while I still allow my vanity to get the best of me at times when I get behind the wheels of the “Dad machine” and watch an uber-cool-car pass by, I know that the most stylish thing in the world is to love what you do, and who you are in your life. For this week, it’s being a stressed-out Dad in a blue mini-van.
So, to all my brethren pulling out of their driveways this morning in a vehicle that is more carseat than convertible, or more likely to contain remnants of cheerios than chases, I salute you. You wear it well.
P.S. Lots of time, money…and even some humor…has gone into research about how to appeal to our vanity and pocketbooks as modern-day parents in mini-vans. An interesting New York times article from a few months back about the marketing science and strategy is here.
P.P.S. What do you think? Did you take the plunge as a parent and go with the mini-van or is there a better way to marry form, function and fashion? Discuss…