Some of this year’s crop of Super Bowl ads continue a theme that was prominent in ads from last year: female empowerment. Women again received a prominent role in some of this year’s big game ad spots. But instead of being portrayed as sex objects, the women who were seen on television screens nationwide Sunday projected images of power and strength. In an ad for Secret, World Cup Champions Carli Lloyd and Crystal Dunn are featured as football players. San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers, the first woman and openly gay person to coach in a Super Bowl, starred in an ad for Microsoft Surface. Olay ran an ad starring actress Taraji. P Henson, late night television host Lilly Singh, journalist Katie Couric and retired NASA astronaut Nicole Scott. The ad promoted #MakeSpaceforWomen in a call to action to get girls into coding and raised money for this endeavor.
These ads are not just reflective of changes in how women are viewed in society, but how advertisers, marketing agencies and the NFL are becoming aware that women make up a significant portion of the fan base and having a larger role in buying decisions. The NFL doesn’t come to mind as an obvious leader in the equality movement. While women account for nearly half of its fanbase and influence about 80% of consumer buying decisions, according to USA Today, the league mainly ignored them until the past five years or so. But despite previous lackluster and limited attempts, the NFL has made some surprising and powerful strides. Earlier this month, Sarah Thomas, a full-time NFL referee since 2015, became the first woman to work a postseason game. Since 2015, when Jen Welter was hired by the Arizona Cardinals as a linebackers coach for training camp, several teams have added female coaches, either as training camp interns or as part of their full-time staffs.
When one tunes into any broadcast of an NFL game, or most sporting events, many of the ads are targeted towards men, promoting products from beer to cars. “The sports world is viewing it as a man’s game because men are playing the game … because there are fewer women in ads, and fewer women in front of and behind the camera,” said Lynn Branigan, the president and CEO of She Runs It, a group that encourages and promotes women’s roles in the advertising agency. “Women are watching the program, and it’s a missed opportunity for marketers if they don’t market to women,” Branigan said. Kathleen Hall, the corporate vice president of brand, advertising and research for Microsoft, said that Microsoft’s ads usually have a theme of empowering people, and its agency suggested featuring Sowers. After talking with Sowers, Hall said they decided not to wait for the big game. A 30-second version of its Super Bowl ad starring Sowers had already been airing late in the season. Hall said that the response to the ad has been amazing. Furthermore, Sowers’ story has been one of the most talked about at the Super Bowl. “There can always be more. Obviously, you can see progress is being made and that’s what’s truly important, that we just continue to make progress. As long as we continue to make progress, we will see change,” Sowers said last week. In order for change to occur, it requires a shift in societal attitudes, which makes these particular Super Bowl spots so significant. It’s about time the NFL recognizes that football is not just for men.
What makes these ads more impactful when compared to my personal favorite, the Jeep “Groundhog Day” ad with Bill Murray, is that these ads set out to inspire and empower women to set out and achieve their dreams. In comparison, the Jeep ad plays upon the nostalgia and humor of the film “Groundhog Day” that inspired it. These particular ads convey a powerful and forward-thinking message that women can be successful and strong. Hopefully, we will witness this societal change where women are seen as equals to men and not objectified. These ads are a part of the movement to make such a change reality and will continue to do so.
Lloyd Kaplan is 2nd year MBA candidate majoring in business-sports and entertainment management. He graduated from Marist College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing.
