Following on from our previous post on the rise of female-focused Super Bowl ads, we wanted to highlight the fantastic Nike “So Win” ad and why we are loving it!
Continuing the trend of brands focusing on changing the narrative around women in sports currently being championed by Dove and Novartis, Nike released a 60-second ad featuring a star-studded line up of some of the most iconic women in sports right now. A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, Jordan Chiles, Sabrina Ionescu, Sha’Carri Richardson, Alexia Putellas, Aryna Sabalenka, and Sophia Smith Wilson, an intentionally diverse cast from various different sports, were pictured while Grammy award winning rapper Doechii narrated.
In their first Super Bowl ad since 1998, Nike called on women who are so often told they will not win in sport to win anyway. Too often limitations are forced upon women and girls in the sporting world, with expectations of how they should look, behave, and exist as women, and Nike’s fantastic ad is a significant step in the right direction of naming and dismantling this problem.
Choosing one of the biggest nights for men’s sports in the US to give women centre stage, at a price tag of at least $8 million, it is incredibly refreshing to see a brand stand firm in their support of women. While other companies played it safe with gentle gags and celebrity cameos, Nike’s daring ad was one of the best-reviewed of the night, the brand’s social media received the most engagement of any advertiser, and with 13,000 online mentions, it was the most talked-about of the night. While Budweiser’s “First Delivery” and Lay’s “The Little Farmer” were ranked highest in USA Today’s Ad Meter, the purpose-driven nature of Nike achieved higher emotional engagement, reflecting the audience shift towards more meaningful content. Nike’s success indicates that taking a risk in supporting female narratives in advertising can pay off in a big way, and contributes to the bigger commentary around how the advertising landscape has evolved, with brands recognising the importance of inclusivity and representation.
If you are interested in more marketing & trend insights, check out the Cedarwood blog for more!
