Super Bowl LIV: Brands Raise Awareness Of Social And Environmental Issues
Super Bowl LIV will soon be upon us, with the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs set to battle it out in Miami this Sunday.
But the action won’t just be limited to the pitch, with brands also scrapping it out for people’s attention during the course of the match.
Keen to get ahead of the Big Game, some advertisers have already released their Super Bowl spots online. But which brands are already grabbing headlines? And which trends are we seeing?
Well, ahead of Sunday’s spectacle, Unruly has been running the rule on this year’s runners and riders to spot any emerging trends. You can read our first installment here. Here is a second helping:
Women’s Empowerment & Equality is a huge focus
With women making up almost half (45%) of NFL fans, the Super Bowl is an ideal opportunity for brands to tackle issues around sexism and women’s empowerment.
One example of this is Microsoft, which profiles Katie Sowers, offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers. Sowers made history as the FIRST female coach in the Super Bowl and this ad celebrates this historic marker and Sowers’ journey.
Secret’s “The Secret Kicker – #KickInequality” also profiles women in the sport, with the audience shocked and then delighted to find out the winning kick during a game comes from a woman. The spot promotes the message that women can also play and do things that men can do.
The gender pay gap is the focus of Olay’s #MakeSpaceForWomen campaign, which features the all female-cast of YouTube star Lilly Singh, comedian Busy Philipps, astronaut Nicole Stott, actress Taraji P. Henson and TV personality Katie Couric.
Social awareness and sustainability consciousness is important!
The Super Bowl is also a time when brands use their ad spots to raise awareness of many causes and issues — and this year’s Big Game is no different.
Starting off with the NFL ad itself, “Inspire Change: Anquan Boldin”, is created to raise awareness of young black men being shot by the police. The ad is part of the NFL’s greater “Inspire Change” program.
KIA has also launched a teaser to raise awareness of youth homelessness. The ad will also help raise funds to combat the issue. According to KIA’s campaign, for every yard gained during the game, KIA will donate $1,000 to charities Covenant House, Positive Tomorrows and StandUp For Kids.
Elsewhere, SodaStream’s spot, which features Bill Nye, The Science Guy, also talks about its goal of reducing the use of single-use plastic, while Saucony, a sneaker company, is also promoting its sustainable “Run for Good” messaging during its digital Super Bowl spot (to be aired on Fox’s streaming services during the Super Bowl). It will also announce its plans to release its first biodegradable shoe.
We will be running the biggest ads of this year’s Super Bowl through our emotional targeting and testing tool UnrulyEQ. To see which ones come out on top, sign up here to receive our Super Bowl LIV insights right in your inbox.
