Front page: a newspaper on the breakfast table, all about Dad
Front page flips the old picture of Dad reading the paper over breakfast: this time he is the news. On a sunny table sit a steaming coffee, reading glasses, toast with jam and a folded newspaper. When he turns the page with a finger he finds a giant headline, “DAD OF THE YEAR:” or “WORLD'S BEST DAD:”, with his name underneath. Your message is printed as the lead story, with your name on the byline, and a gold medal drops down beside the headline.
The rest of the paper plays along: a classified ad for a lost TV remote, “Back in my day…” stories for sale, the love index at an all-time high, a sports result of Dads 3, Mondays 0. Dads with a sense of humour will enjoy the small print, and if you'd rather keep it tender you can choose a warmer headline. Send the link in any chat and it opens in his browser.
What does the recipient experience?
- The opening says the sender left you a newspaper. Turn the sound on and tap “Take a seat”; the coffee, glasses and paper are waiting.
- Swipe the newspaper from right to left; the page follows your finger and opens once it passes halfway. There's also an “Open the paper” button.
- The headline and your name appear, a typewriter bell dings and the camera moves in. Right below it, the sender's message runs as the news story.
- A gold medal drops beside the headline, a cheerful morning tune plays and the screen says “Happy Father's Day” with your name.
- Finally the message also opens on a card. Reply with a thank-you emoji or read the paper again.
What can you choose?
The sender makes two choices. The headline can be funny (“Dad of the Year”, with a subhead about a kitchen-table award ceremony) or heartfelt (“World's Best Dad”, with “Everyone already knew. Today it's official.”). The paper can be crisp white or a yellowed vintage sheet. They also write the recipient's name, their own name and the message that gets printed as the story.
When to send it
It's made for Father's Day, the third Sunday of June in the US, Turkey and many other countries, and all the on-screen text is written for that day. Since the message sits in the paper like a news story, a few sentences with a shared memory read well: something you did together, a habit you picked up from him. Links are deleted after seven days, and the open button is always there if swiping is fiddly.
Common questions
Where does my message appear in the paper?
On the front page under the headline, as the story marked “Exclusive”. Your name appears on the byline as “Report by”.
What's the difference between the two headline tones?
The funny one reads “Dad of the Year” with a joking subhead; the heartfelt one reads “World's Best Dad” with a sincere one. The rest of the paper is the same.
What if I don't write a message?
A short default Father's Day story is printed instead, remembering morning coffees, school runs and patient answers to endless questions.