Super Bowl Ads Lag in Representing Women
Despite a surge in female viewership of the Super Bowl, most ads aired during the event still fail to place women at the center of their narratives. According to recent data, although women appeared in 78% of Super Bowl commercials last year, only 28% featured them in prominent roles. This marks a decline from the 32% recorded in 2023—prior to the so-called Taylor Swift effect.
The Bechdel Test, a benchmark for measuring female representation in media, requires that a piece include at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. While this test might not directly apply to 30- or 60-second commercials, it remains a useful framework for assessing gender representation in advertising.
The Rise of Female Viewership
The NFL has experienced a notable rise in female fans over the past five years. Marissa Solis, Senior Vice President of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing at the NFL, emphasized that the growth in female fandom predates Taylor Swift’s public appearances at games. “In the last five years, even before the Taylor Swift effect, we’ve seen a tremendous amount of growth in female fandom and viewership,” Solis said in an interview with ADWEEK.
In 2024 alone, viewership among women aged 18 to 24 jumped by 24%. Furthermore, favorability ratings for the NFL among women have increased by 13 percentage points since 2021, reaching 55% in early 2024. Today, women represent nearly half—49%—of all Super Bowl viewers.
Advertising Still Playing Catch-Up
Despite these shifting demographics, advertisers have been slow to adjust. Data from market research firm Zappi reveals that ads featuring women in speaking or narrating roles fell from 64% in 2023 to just 54% this year. Nataly Kelly, Chief Marketing Officer at Zappi, noted, “Women are now half the audience, but rarely the center of the story in the ads. They’re on screen, but they’re not driving the narrative.”
Importantly, Zappi’s research shows that ads resonating with women tend to perform well across all demographics. Four of the top five ads ranked highest among women were also among the overall top five. In contrast, only two of the top-ranked ads among men made the broader top five list.
Economic Incentives for Inclusive Ads
There is a strong economic case for advertisers to focus more on female audiences. Women are responsible for approximately 85% of consumer purchasing decisions, making them a critical demographic for brands to engage. “These ads in the Super Bowl don’t seem to acknowledge that yet,” Kelly said.
Brands like Grubhub, State Farm, Svedka, Instacart, Ro, Michelob Ultra, Uber Eats, TurboTax, and Pringles were among the many that featured women in their ads, but not always in central roles.
The Myth of the Male-Dominated Audience
For decades, advertisers have operated under the assumption that Super Bowl audiences are predominantly male, a misconception that persists despite evidence to the contrary. Derek Rucker, a professor of advertising strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, challenged this outdated view. “Twenty years ago, the split wasn’t even that pronounced—there were lots of women watching,” he explained.
Rucker emphasized that the Super Bowl audience represents a broad cross-section of the population, making it an ideal platform for inclusive marketing. “You’re paying for 100 million people,” he noted. “If you have a niche-focused product or a niche-focused ad, don’t use the Super Bowl.”
Room for Improvement
As brands invest millions—up to $10 million per 30-second spot—to capture the attention of Super Bowl viewers, the opportunity to connect with a diverse audience is enormous. However, without a more inclusive approach to storytelling, many of these ads are missing the mark.
Advertisers have a unique chance to reflect the evolving demographics of NFL fans and tap into the immense purchasing power of female consumers. But doing so requires more than just putting women onscreen—it demands that brands place them at the center of the narrative in meaningful ways.
This article is inspired by content from Original Source. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.