• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, June 16, 2015

Just in time for Father’s Day, Dove Men+ Care is going for the most sentimental of sweet spots with a film that captures the reaction of men at the very moment they learn they’re going to be dads.

The film — created by Havas and which a spokesperson says will run on DoveMenCare and the brand’s YouTube page — uses footage collected online. It tracks the stunned reactions of 13 men in the first few seconds after they get the big news — from disbelief to tears to bear hugs. Unilever, which owns Dove, says the effort is indicated to highlight this super-transitional moment, which it based on its findings that 82% of men say becoming a dad absolutely changes their definition of manhood.

Unilever reports that in addition to thinking of themselves as both caregivers and providers, it also influences men’s digital behavior: Its research shows 42% of new dads post family-related status updates on their social media accounts every single day. It ties this effort back to the brand’s #RealStrength campaign, launched earlier this year. (Some 70% of its respondents believe they need to be stronger to enter fatherhood, and 88% of dads say taking care of the family gives them a feeling of strength.)

And in further support of modern fatherhood, it’s also collecting a series of open letters “To All Dads” on publishing platform Medium.com, working with authors, journalists, and fatherhood and masculinity experts, creating a support community and a place to broadcast personal experiences. It’s also working with health care groups to introduce a new “Dad Care Package,” arming dads with skin, face and underarm products, as well as dad-to-dad advice.

While it may be a big day for new dads and dads-to-be, experts are predicting this year’s Father’s Day to be a bit of a non-event, with the National Retail Federation forecasting total spending on Dad at $12.7 billion. About 75% of Americans will mark the day somehow, with those buying gifts spending about $116, in line with last year’s $113.