Dove’s Super Bowl ad calls out toxic body talk keeping girls off the field
The big game isn’t just about touchdowns and Taylor Swift sightings. It’s also about the ads that make us laugh, cry, and—sometimes—think.
This year, Dove is using its Super Bowl spotlight to send a message: The way we talk about girls’ bodies is pushing them out of sports.
The play-by-play
The 30-second spot, set to a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run by H.E.R., starts with a little girl running carefree. The text on screen reads: At three, these legs are unstoppable. At 14, she’ll think they’re unbearable.
The stats back it up: By age 14, nearly half of girls quit sports due to low body confidence. And 48% of them say they were told they didn’t have the “right body type” to play.
Related: What your daughter learns when she sees you confident in your body
Game-changer
Dove’s Keep Her Confident campaign is the latest in its 20-year push to challenge unrealistic beauty standards. Their Body Confident Sport program is working to shift the narrative, giving coaches tools to help girls stay in the game.
“As a global leader in self-esteem education, Dove is dedicated to helping girls feel confident in sports and beyond,” says Marcela Melero, Dove’s Chief Growth Officer. “But this focus on appearance over ability is shattering girls’ confidence and preventing them from thriving in the sports they love.”
Related: Just because my girls like to play rough it doesn’t mean they are ‘acting like boys’
Beyond the Dove commercial
Dove isn’t stopping at a TV spot. They teamed up with Sports Illustrated to create Sports ReIllustrated, a special edition magazine celebrating real young female athletes. They’re also bringing in sports icons—Venus Williams, Billie Jean King, and Olympic gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall—to rally behind the cause.
The bigger picture for parents
Dove’s ad isn’t just about sports. It’s about how the pressure to look a certain way affects girls’ confidence in everything. The message? Let’s change the way we talk to young girls—on the field, in the locker room, and at home.
Your Move: Watch what you say. Encouragement > critique. “You are so strong” > “You look so cute.” And if you need a pep talk, just ask yourself: Would you say that to Serena Williams?
