The Real Players of Super Bowl XLIX

Word on the street has it that 114.4 million people were officially recorded watching Super Bowl XLIX this past weekend. We’re going to take a chance and bet you were among that number, or at least knew about the most watched broadcast in television history. An audience of that size surely made the $4.5 million 30-second commercial spots worth it for big names like McDonald’s and Budweiser. But the biggest news wasn’t the hefty price tag (and for some it wasn’t even the score of the game).

What we at POINT find even more impressive is the trend of cause-centered ads throughout the broadcast. 

In a refreshing change of pace, a number of ads exhibited a significant shift away from the unsurprising, if not expected, objectification of women (among other mainstay themes) and towards, of all things, positive social movements. Perhaps the most talked about ad on my timeline was the Always #LikeAGirl campaign, encouraging girls to embrace their own confidence and strength. After it aired, I saw many female athletes, military members, and even a few astronauts (way cool!) sharing photos of themselves on twitter doing what they do best.

Or Dove, highlighting and challenging the notions of traditional masculinity of aggression and violence by instead showing fathers lovingly interacting with their children (this one gave me so many warm fuzzies!).

The POINT app embodies the knowledge that the voices of our generation can affect great change. We know how, especially through our phones, we can rally around organic, authentic causes in a matter of seconds and change lives. We know what kind of people we are.

Earlier this year, an uproar resulted from the footage exploding on the internet scene of Ray Rice hitting his then-fiancee in an elevator. Using Twitter and other social media, many spoke out against domestic violence, moving the issue to the forefront of the national consciousness. Never before done, an NFL-sponsored ad spotlighting domestic violence was aired during the broadcast and is an exceptional, if sobering, example of reacting to a powerful voice for change. Our powerful voice.    

POINT sees what’s coming. A world where, even during a compelling Super Bowl commercial, people can simply open up the POINT app, search ‘prevent domestic violence’, and be provided direct connections to trustworthy organizations that specialize in providing for and supporting innocent victims.

I hope to see media continue to evolve towards building men and women up instead of tearing them down, or encourage us all to embrace our differences, or support environmentally-friendly practices, or fight to end bullying. I can’t wait to see what that can do when POINT makes it simple to learn about and give to any cause that means something to you, however you discover it!

Which cause-marketing commercials have been your favorites?

(Hey, it may not be cause-marketing, but I do always love the Budweiser ones with the puppies!)

Sarah Grainger

Blogger for POINT