As social and political issues have garnered attention throughout the previous year, many brands and companies have leaned into incorporating activist themes into their marketing strategies, and the Super Bowl commercials were no exception. Although mixed in with funny and lighthearted commercials, several companies rightfully used the heavily sought-after screen time to raise awareness and send powerful messages, and it worked well for those who did it tastefully.
Nike, a company with relevance to the Super Bowl and extremely solid marketing strategies, showcased prominent female athletes such as Sha'Carri Richardson, Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins in its commercial. The powerful script narrated by Doechii discussed the struggles of women in sports, whether it's being told not to be confident, flex, fill a stadium or break records. In an echo-like effect, the advertisement combated every doubt or demand from the outside by telling athletes to do whatever they are told they can’t.
Nike’s commercial ended on a powerful note that stays true to their slogan: “Whatever you do, you can’t win. So win.” As women's sports continue to rise in popularity, criticism is also rising. Nike’s way of addressing the issue was done tastefully, with real athletes and attention-grabbing imagery throughout.
Dove is known for their body positivity and inclusive messaging, which it held tight in its emotional commercial. It shows a young girl running happily down the sidewalk with overlay text reading, “At 3, these legs are unstoppable. At 14, she’ll think they’re unbearable.”
In a heartbreaking juxtaposition, Dove touches on body shaming and insecurities in young girls as they grow up. The brand has historically raised awareness and promoted inclusivity in body types, and it used its time slot on a huge stage in a smart way.
In a seemingly less popular theme for brands to incorporate into commercials, the present danger of climate change was featured in a commercial by Science Moms. It showed children growing up as a medium to encourage parents, who are less likely to engage in climate activism, to pay attention and act on this danger.
After flashing photos of a child throughout all stages of life, the commercial says, “Our window to act on climate change is like watching them grow up. You blink, and you miss it.” The formidable message stood out among other commercials in terms of the weight it carries while still being visually enticing.
Although several messages such as women in sports, body positivity and climate change were well-delivered from their respective brands, there were messages poorly represented as well.
Hims & Hers, an online health company, called out “the system” as the fault of obesity and poor health in the United States. Although that’s a larger issue to touch on, Hims & Hers was working to sell their unregulated weight loss drug. In an example of irresponsible marketing, the company didn’t disclose the lack of regulation, promoting a potentially harmful product.
Stand Up to All Hate produced a commercial, which was paid for by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, that attempted to point out the ridiculousness of hate. On the surface, Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady were insulting each other in both a serious and entertaining way. However, both celebrities support President Donald Trump, something viewers rightfully had issues with. Trump’s rhetoric is swarmed with hate speech, which the two are supposed to be representative of standing up to. There were also critiques of the payment source, which blurs the line between antisemitism and critiquing Israel’s current actions.
As a whole, many brands incorporated activist messaging into their Super Bowl advertisements. On a screen as big as the Super Bowl, it is crucial to be tasteful and responsible, which was lacking in some cases.
Layne Rey is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
