Commercial, Super Bowl

One Bold Choice is Empowering

Super Bowl XLIX was a historic event for so many reasons including advertising and disability taking center stage in, what I would consider, the best ads of the evening. The title of this post comes from the hashtags of Toyota’s and Microsoft’s campaigns, and combined, share exactly what each brand’s chief marketing officer and agency creative director did when they made the decision to be inclusive. One bold choice is empowering.

Microsoft #empowering

One of Microsoft’s 2015 Super Bowl spots focused on Empowering Us All. Microsoft’s description on YouTube shares, “Born missing the tibia and fibula bones in both of his legs, six year old Braylon O’Neill is now thriving and playing sports with the help of Microsoft technology.”

Toyota #OneBoldChoice

I’ve been a huge fan of Amy Purdy’s for several years, and you read my blog you’ve seen her in several earlier posts. Toyota’s YouTube description shares, “Amy Purdy triumphs to the iconic words of Muhammad Ali. To save her life, her dad had to make some life changing decisions. She then went on to win a medal in Sochi and dance in front of millions. Nothing can stop Amy Purdy. #OneBoldChoice”

According to USA Today’s Ad Meter, “Paralympian Amy Purdy stars in this Toyota Camry commercial that is sure to get you fired up. The minute-long spot, which will air during the first quarter of Super Bowl XLIX, chronicles a typical day for the bronze medal-winning snowboarder/author/Dancing With the Stars contestant. (In reality, it’s anything but typical.)

It feels like a great training montage from a sports movie. But what makes the ad even better is the voice in the background. Saatchi & Saatchi, the agency that created it, used a snippet of a speech by Muhammad Ali to narrate the ad. Leading up to his fight against the heavily favored George Foreman in 1974, Ali delivered the short soliloquy during a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria in New York.”

Having no depth perception, I was always a bit timid to try out team sports and definitely never considered football. But being in advertising, there’s a whole different game played out during the Super Bowl that draws me in. For those in the advertising industry reading this post, what one bold choice can you make that is empowering?

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