NFL Dads Send Message to Daughters in Viral Pantene Ad

The "Strong is Beautiful" campaign highlights importance of dad-daughter time.

ByABC News
February 5, 2016, 9:47 AM

— -- Pantene’s new “Strong is Beautiful” campaign is inspiring fathers everywhere to get in the game.

The video series, featuring some of the biggest stars in the NFL, emphasizes that girls who spend time together with their dads grow up to be stronger women. The powerful message has been watched by millions online.

“Dads can teach their daughters a lot,” Ericka Souter, editor of Mom.me, tells ABC News. “And it really does help young girls grow to be strong women.”

The campaign is also acting as a sort of “ponytail playbook” for dads who know football but can’t tackle a tangle.

“The only style I’m able to do is a pony tail,” Pittsburgh Steelers’ Deangelo Williams says in the video.

“Catching a touchdown pass is a lot easier than making a beautiful braid,” Dallas Cowboys’ Jason Witten adds.

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Another NFL player featured in the campaign is New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson and his two little girls.

“Just because you’re a guy and she’s a growing young lady doesn’t mean that you have nothing to do with her and you can’t connect with her,” Watson says.

Watson says his daughters, Naomi and Grace, are “going to judge all men by how I treat [them], so it’s important for me to connect with them and do things that they want to do. It’s about connecting and showing them that they’re important and that they’re worth my time.”

Pantene points to research that shows quality time spent with dads is key in raising daughters who are more self-confident, self-reliant and more successful in school and in their careers.