Super Bowl ads missed the mark on diversity

Scrolling through my Twitter feed on Sunday night, I sifted through tons of conversations about the ads that aired during Super Bowl LV. 

The comments ranged from celebration to backlash. Why was Mila Kunis and Asthon Kutchers’ acting so bad in the Cheetos’ spot? Did you catch the Reddit ad? Can I have a Michael B. Jordan Alexa? When is the Edgar Scissorhands movie coming out? (OK, that last one was me.) 

But if you were following along, there was another important conversation happening during the game that focused on the lack of diversity apparent in, and behind the scenes of, each ad that aired. 

The 3% Conference’s Super Bowl Tweet Up (#3PercentSB) took place for its eighth year, flooding our feeds with necessary callouts about how each ad performed on diversity. 

Just three women and “at most” five people of color directed this year’s Super Bowl ads, making up less than 10% of the 87 ads that ran during the game, per an AdAge analysis.

According to production company The Cortez Brothers, that’s compared to 42 men who directed 95% of the spots during this year’s game. Meanwhile, just three Black men directed Super Bowl ads, making up 7% of all directors working on ads this year.

Crunched some numbers at halftime... Here's where we stand on Super Bowl ad directors. Ad agencies, remember to ask for women- and minority-owned production companies in addition to directors to amp up diversity in the production space. #3percentSB #SuperBowlAds pic.twitter.com/qSXCX8aYLZ

— Cortez Brothers (@cortezbrothers) February 8, 2021

What a great day to be a male creative director in the advertising biz! Really looking forward to taking credit for whatever ad gets the most buzz today. #SuperBowl #3PercentSB #97PercentSB

— The 97% Conference (@97PercentConf) February 7, 2021

So it’s no wonder, then, that we ended up with spots like Bud Light’s Avengers-style cameo from its spokespeople of yore—all men. And an ad from Logitech that tacitly assumes all “creators” are under 40.

That Bud Light ad got us thinking: What major beer brands have had female spokespeople? #3PercentSB

— The 3% Conference (@3PercentConf) February 8, 2021

Wish @logitech more visibly included creators and dreamers who are over 40. #3percentSB

— Fancy (@whatwefancy) February 7, 2021

Other ads fell into stereotypes and tropes. Tide’s ‘The Jason Alexander Hoodie’ was called out for typecasting the typical dirty teenage boy and mom doing laundry. Dr. Squatch tried to turn stereotypes about being “manly” on its head, but the effort fell flat. And Squarespace was called out for glorifying “hustle culture,” which particularly irked working women who are struggling with burnout more than any other demographic during the pandemic.

Do you know who makes the soap-buying decision in most households, @DrSquatchSoapCo? And therefore whose soap brand choice overrides everyone else's in the household? #SuperBowl #3percentSB #BrandBowl

— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) February 8, 2021

I love Dolly. I like Squarespace. But my 9 to 5 and my 5 to 9 both have me exhausted. #brandbowl #SuperBowlAds #3percentSB https://t.co/VtK2mJ4XI6

— Andrea Nordgren (@AndreaNordgren) February 8, 2021

Overall, male celebrities dominated the ads (Tracey Morgan, Matthew McConaughey, Timotheé Chalamet, Will Ferrell, Bruce Springsteen, Michael B. Jordan, Jason Alexander, John Cena, Daveed Diggs, Dan Levy, Drake, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Brad Garrett) with a few women taking secondary roles (Awkwafina, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, Cardi B). Amy Schumer and Maya Rudolph were the only female actors to snag lead roles.

Lotttttaaa male leads with women as cameos/and or playing the straight role in the comedy spots. #3PercentSB

— The 3% Conference (@3PercentConf) February 8, 2021

So far, most ads are... dudes. #brandbowl #SuperBowlAds #3percentSB

— Andrea Nordgren (@AndreaNordgren) February 8, 2021

Not all of Sunday’s work was called out for a lack of attention paid to diversity. Amazon’s ‘Alexa’s Body’ was praised for taking a female lens to sexuality (although Amazon suggesting we should have sexual feelings for our devices is a little odd), while Cadillac was celebrated for a diverse creative team behind its ad, ‘ScissorHandsFree.’

Alexa hit all the notes: women-led, diverse, humor, pacing, production, celebrity use that wasn't gratuitous. #3percentsb #PlannerBowl #BrandBowl

— VΔNESSΔ (@fridasbrow) February 8, 2021

Some work was more egregious than others, particularly the NFL ad that flew in the face of “brand authenticity” by preaching a commitment to diversity.

Yo NFL, Kaepernick would like a word. #SuperBowl #3PercentSB

— Laurel “Matchmaker in Chief” Stark Akman (@LaurelLu) February 8, 2021

But, overall, Sunday’s line-up fell short of the commitments this industry has so boldly made. The ads were a reflection of the people behind the scenes making them, and it was a reflection many felt were left out of.

Lotta male-lens humor in #SuperBowl ads. Per usual. Women are screamingly, hysterically funny. I want to see so many more female-lens humorous ads (centring female celebrities versus featuring them purely as sidekicks/cameo appearances for the male ones) #3percentSB

— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) February 8, 2021

Some people will say the Super Bowl is all about the fun, the wacky and the inane. It’s about celebrating creativity for the magic that it is.

But this industry made some very serious statements about improving its commitment to diversity and inclusion last year, and that means calling attention to it in every big moment — even in the fun and the celebratory.