Nike came in HOT for Super Bowl LIX, dropping a game-changing ad composed of all iconic women in sports and narrated by recent Grammy award-winning rapper, Doechii. I was only half paying attention to the game, but I was immediately locked in once this ad began. Nike has been around since 1971, and actually even a few years before that, formerly known as Blue Ribbon Sports, and at this point is considered a household name, so why debut a big game ad NOW after almost a 3 decade hiatus?
Stellar Line Up
Nike gave the stage to women on a day where only men play on the field. The ad showed a montage of female athletes, like WNBA powerhouses Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu, Olympic gold medalist gymnast Jordan Chiles, track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson, footballer Alexia Putellas, and current world No. 1 tennis pro, Aryna Sabalenka. The 60 second masterpiece addresses the list of double-standards that women are constantly being told, but on screen, are proving critics wrong. Showing these women in their element, doing what they do best, and WINNING, was a great way to visually hit the emotional nerve of women everywhere that can relate. Imagine being told you shouldn’t be doing something, or worse, that you CAN’T do it — men don’t know what that feels like. This goes beyond sports.
Something to Prove
So after 27 years, why now? Nicole Hubbard Graham, the brand’s Chief Marketing Officer, says they wanted to tap into one of the few mass cultural experiences we have left. Nike isn’t a stranger to advertising during the Super Bowl, but in recent years, women are flipping the script and there is no better time than now to show their stories. “Women are just absolutely shattering records right now, selling out stadiums, ticket sales, commanding contracts like you’ve never seen before, and being placed with probably some of the harshest expectations of how you’re supposed to act. And I think they will redefine what it means to be athletes and personalities of the future.”, says Graham.
Basically, it’s two middle fingers. One to the critics of women, and the other to the critics of the brand and its relevance. According to Fast Company, this ad was actually the kick off to their new campaign that will continue into this year as the brand tries to reconnect with athletes the same way they did in the past, by using big, irreverent, disruptive, and emotional ideas. Their vision is athletes over algorithms.
So Win
The overarching theme for this ad is simple, its comeback season.
For Nike as it gains new competitors like Hoka and On Cloud, on top of their existing players like Adidas and Brooks, and as the brand battles declining stock (last summer saw its biggest drop since 2001).
For female athletes, who are securing record-breaking contracts and proving their worth on the world stage.
And for women all around the world being told they can’t.
Do it, and do it LOUD! Win on your terms.