The Super Bowl isn’t just about football – it is an American cultural event. Maybe you are like me and just watch it for the commercials. The Super Bowl commercials often reflect and shape societal narratives, while reaching a wide audience. This year, three standout ads tackled themes of feminism and girlhood in powerful ways, highlighting resilience, representation, and the importance of confidence in young girls.
Lay’s gave us a heartwarming story of perseverance with “The Little Farmer.” The ad follows a young girl on a potato farm who finds a lost potato and nurtures it through the season. She is seen protecting it from storms, providing a scarecrow, and carefully watering it. Her efforts culminate in harvesting her potato and adding it to the truckload bound for Lay’s potato chip factory. While seemingly simple, this ad subtly celebrates the themes of care, labor, and contributions that often go unrecognized – especially when performed by girls.
In an era where conversations about gender equality in sports are louder than ever, the NFL’s “Flag 50” commercial was a bold statement. The ad opens in a chaotic high school hallway, where a new student, a girl in a football jersey, arrives. When a boy dismissively claims that girls don’t play football, she counters, “They do where I’m from.” What follows is a try-out session for a flag football team – a girls team. With the boys football team watching, the new student is challenged to a football match against the best boy on the team. She outmaneuvers him, proving her skill and cementing the ad’s message: girls belong in football. The closing text, “Let’s Make Girls Flag Football a Varsity Sport in All 50 States,” reinforces that this isn’t just an ad – it’s a call to action.
Dove has long championed messages of self-esteem, and their ad titled “These Legs” continued that mission with an emotional punch. The ad starts with a young girl joyfully running on the sidewalk, paired with the text: “At 3, these legs are unstoppable.” The next line hits hard: “At 14, she’ll think they are unbearable.” The ad then shares a sobering statistic: “1 in 2 girls who quit sports do so because they are criticized for their body type.” With the hashtag #Keepherconfident, Dove challenges the way society talks to girls about their bodies. It’s a stark reminder that confidence isn’t just lost—it’s taken away by a culture that scrutinizes and shames young girls.
Why These Ads Matter
Each of these commercials tackles a different but interconnected aspect of girlhood: perseverance, representation, and self-confidence. “The Little Farmer” challenges outdated notions of what stories about girls should look like, “Flag 50” directly addresses the barriers in sports, and “These Legs” sheds light on the cultural pressures that erode girls’ confidence.
At a time when discussions around feminism and equity are ongoing, these ads serve as a reminder that media representation matters. Seeing girls take up space reinforces the idea that they belong everywhere. More than just selling chips, promoting a sport, or marketing skincare, these brands used their platforms to tell stories that empower girls.
-Hillary Rose
Education Advisor
Girl Museum Inc.