Artists Unite to Stamp Out Stereotypes with CALM's Father’s Day Redesign

On Sunday 16th of June, the UK will celebrate Father’s Day. Which means thousands of dads nationwide will receive heartfelt cards from their kids, right? Wrong.

Father’s Day cards are painfully generic or just outright insulting, perpetuating stereotypes and distinctly absent of the loving attitude that dads deserve. 

To bring new meaning to Father’s Day, independent creative company The Or, in partnership with the suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), has enlisted an array of artists to redesign generic cards by bringing new positive messaging to the forefront. 

The Father’s Day Redesign aims to redefine stereotypical messaging, instead encouraging a loving and positive narrative when it comes to expressing emotions to our father figures. 

Over thirty artists have contributed work to the project, including Marylou Faure, Hattie Stewart and Oli Fowler.

Each design will be up for online auction, starting on the 23rd of May, via The Auction Collective. The public can bid for their favourite artwork and receive the card in time for Father’s Day, with all proceeds going to CALM. 

Every card is a one-of-a-kind design, signed by the artist. The auction will run until the 5th of June. Bidding starts at £25. 

Each artist has provided a description of their card, with many using this opportunity to describe their gratitude and love towards their own father figures. 

Simon Gunning, CEO of Campaign Against Living Miserably, said, “I'm a dad to two fantastic kids and I tell them I love them every single day - and they say it right back. We have come such a long way in breaking down stereotypes around masculinity and what it means to be a man and a father, but there's still so much work to be done, especially when you consider that 75% of all suicides are male. This brilliant partnership speaks volumes to that need, showing that dads deserve to be shown love, support, and care on Father's Day as much as mums do on Mother's Day, and it will hopefully help us to raise vital funds to continue the lifesaving work that we're doing.”

Charlene Chandrasekaran, executive creative director at The Or said, “Mother's Day card designs are always thoughtful and heartfelt. 'Happy Father's Day you old twat' or a picture of a pint of beer doesn’t quite have that same level of warmth. The Father's Day Redesign is here to shine a light on how we communicate with our father figures, reframing the narrative with positivity and openness. We’re thrilled to partner with CALM on this project, as well as an array of exceptional artistic talent.”

Sign up for the auction here.