OPENTABLE AND 2045 CELEBRATE FATHERHOOD WITH ‘THE DAD ADD’

OpenTable, the global leader in restaurant technology, has unveiled a striking new Father’s Day campaign in London, created by indie agency 2045, its global creative partner appointed earlier this year. The activation, titled The Dad Add, invites Britons to return the favour this Father’s Day by booking Dad a meal, extending the brand’s “Because it Matters” creative platform.  

OpenTable, the global leader in restaurant technology, has unveiled a striking new Father’s Day campaign in London, created by indie agency 2045, its global creative partner appointed earlier this year. The activation, titled The Dad Add, invites Britons to return the favour this Father’s Day by booking Dad a meal, extending the brand’s “Because it Matters” creative platform.  

The campaign follows the success of OpenTable and 2045’s widely shared Mother’s Day initiative in Australia, which transformed a mother’s lifetime of unpaid labour into a giant restaurant receipt installation. That activation sparked a global conversation about the invaluable contributions mothers make to family life. With The Dad Add, the focus shifts to fathers, celebrating the everyday things they quietly add to the table.  

Installed at Westfield Stratford City, one of the UK’s busiest shopping destinations, the centrepiece of the campaign is an oversized restaurant order slip. It lists the countless contributions fathers make over a lifetime, from “first lift home” and “couch wrestles” to “terrible jokes”, “pretending he wasn’t worried”, and “always beating you to the bill”. The longer the docket stretches, the more visitors recognise their own fathers in its playful yet poignant entries.  

At the bottom of the slip sits the campaign line: “For everything Dad adds to the table. Book him a special one this Father’s Day.” It is a simple but powerful call to action, encouraging families to celebrate Dad by sharing a meal together.  

Christopher McKee, Executive Creative Director at 2045, explained the creative thinking: “We liked the idea that the mechanics of hospitality could be used to tell an emotional story about fatherhood. The longer the docket gets, the more you start recognising your own dad in it.” His words underline the campaign’s ability to blend the functional language of restaurants with the emotional resonance of family life.  

Jason Yeung, VP of International Marketing at OpenTable, added: “Father’s Day is an important moment for the restaurant industry, but it’s also deeply personal. The Dad Add uses the language of hospitality to celebrate the value dads contribute to our lives. As both a son and a dad, I know those daily ‘additions’ from terrible jokes to lifts home, really add up. It’s a creative cue for us to return the favour and book Dad something special this year.”  

By situating the installation in a high-footfall retail environment, OpenTable ensures maximum visibility and engagement. The campaign not only reinforces the brand’s positioning as a facilitator of meaningful dining experiences but also highlights the emotional connections forged around the table.  

With The Dad Add, OpenTable and 2045 continue to demonstrate how creative storytelling can elevate everyday family rituals into cultural moments. Just as the Mother’s Day activation reframed maternal labour, this Father’s Day campaign reframes paternal contributions, reminding audiences that the small, often overlooked gestures of dads deserve recognition and celebration.