As a huge NFL fan, I was very excited to see an ad premier during the Super Bowl that touched upon women in sports. I was even more excited to see that it featured Carli Lloyd, a US Woman World Cup champion. The advertisement shows a crowd intensely watching perhaps one of the most nerve wracking parts of a football team (the kicker kicking a field goal). To the fans pleasure, the kicker makes the field goal perfectly. The crowd roars with excitement. Suddenly all the cheers silence when the kicker takes off her helmet and it is revealed that it is a woman! The crowd is shocked, then continues cheering and celebrating the victory. Upon further research, I found Carli Lloyd was used for this commercial because she went viral earlier this year for making a 55 yard field goal during a Philadelphia Eagles practice.
I thought this ad sent a really awesome message to young female athletes. Maybe the reason they believe they cannot do something is because other people believe they are not capable. What if this mindset is what limits girls in sports? While I do not believe this is an issue that can be solved with a Super Bowl commercial, I really enjoyed the awareness it brought to the viewers. Growing up with older brothers, I believed I could compete with them simply because they were the only ones I competed with at home. I did not know any different. When I entered youth leagues, I felt the disconnect. It was really interesting to see this shown on a national platform such as a Super Bowl ad.
One issue I did have with the commercial was the vague message it brought forward by saying #KickingInequality. There was not really a call for action or any message past brining forward the issue. Perhaps when viewers searching the hashtag online could find more information.
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