As the first country in the world to do so, Sweden introduced paid parental leave for fathers in 197 4. This was a unique challenge to the traditional division of duties between men and women. Since then, a great many political reforms have been carried out to strengthen the participation of fathers in children's lives (Klinth 2008) and to create a gender-equal, dual-earner/dual-carer family in which both parents can combine work and parenthood (Berggren 2005; Forsberg 2009). Becoming a parent in Sweden today, one indifferent ways is met by these political aims. At the same time, socialization into parenthood also is pursued, for example, by the private consumer marker. Direct marketing to new parents begins at an early stage, advising them what to buy and how best to take care of their infant. Such advice can be seen as complementing or competing with the policies promoted by stare officials. This essay discusses the potential clash of values between the Swedish state and visual consumption in the medium of direct marketing.