5 of the All-Time Most Empowering Super Bowl Commercials for Women

Women are the fastest-growing demographic among the National Football League’s more than 150 million fans. With women representing more than 50 percent of breadwinners in U.S. households and nearly 45 percent of the football fan base, brands advertising in the Super Bowl have taken notice.

Because of women’s significant purchasing power — and because ads cost $4.5 million per 30 seconds during last year’s Super Bowl — more brands are rejecting sexist and hypersexualized portrayals of women and opting for messages specifically geared toward women. 

As we wait to see how brands appeal to women during this year’s big game, here are five of the most empowering and women-friendly commercials from Super Bowls past.

1. Always’ “Like a Girl”

Although feminine hygiene ads may have previously seemed out of place during football’s biggest game, the Always brand’s entry into the market in 2015 proved successful. Lauded as one of the best commercials of Super Bowl 49, the company’s “Like a Girl” ad defied stereotypes about what it means to run, throw, or fight like a girl. Instead of being an insult, this inspiring ad turned #Likeagirl into the ultimate compliment.

2. Goldieblox’s “Rocketship”

In 2014, Goldieblox won software company Inuit’s “Small Business, Big Game” contest and became the first small business to air an ad during the Super Bowl. Goldieblox, founded by Stanford-trained engineer Debbie Sterling, used its 30 seconds in the spotlight to showcase the company’s construction toys that encourage girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The commercial not only made history but also aimed to disrupt the pink aisle and inspire a future generation of female engineers.

3. Apple’s “1984″

Apple’s allusion to the George Orwell novel 1984 is remembered as one of the greatest Super Bowls commercials of all time. In the ad, a woman plays a pivotal role in announcing Apple’s newest personal computer. As dystopian figures line up for Big Brother, the woman runs past them with a large hammer and shatters the screen projecting Big Brother’s face. Representing Apple breaking the mold, the ad also encouraged a generation to go into technology fields, which offer women some of the highest-paying job opportunities.

4. Dove’s “Little Girls”

As part of its “True Beauty” campaign, Dove debuted the ad “Little Girls” during the 2006 Super Bowl. Also known as “True Colors” for the song playing during the minute-long ad, it features diverse young girls expressing their insecurities. From hating freckles to worrying about weight, the girls’ thoughts are overwhelmingly negative until the end, when a new message appears on-screen: “Let’s tell her she’s wrong.” The contrast between these messages aimed to promote women’s self-esteem and encourage them to find their inner true beauty.

5. Dove’s “#RealStrength”

In another ad by Dove, the brand reminds us that feminism isn’t just for women. In “#RealStrength,” Dove focuses on fathers to illustrate the spectrum of feelings men experience. As the ad reveals, showing emotion and caring are not exclusively female traits. With images of fathers tending to their crying infants, newly married daughters, and pool-jumping sons, Dove reminds men that “Care Makes a Man Stronger” — an important message to remember amid the fight to promote equality for both genders.