NFL debuts “Run With It,” its new blockbuster campaign for Super Bowl 2023, spotlighting Flag football and some incredible moves by key women in the sport today. For the first time ever, the NFL’s Super Bowl spot will focus on youth and women’s Flag football and feature Flag football star Diana Flores, Mexico Women’s National Flag Football team quarterback and most recently AFC offensive coordinator at The Pro Bowl Games.
The commercial, created by 72andSunny, aired right after the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show. To surprise fans worldwide, the NFL pulled off an impressive stunt to trick the audience into thinking the spot was filmed live, as Fox Sports anchor Erin Andrews interviews Diana “live” on the sideline, but during the interview, she tries to take Flores’ flag. But Flores is too fast.
This sets off an epic chase that seemingly spills out of State Farm stadium and onto the streets, as Flores is heavily pursued by disguised players, including Sauce Gardner (New York Jets), Cam Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers), Jalen Ramsey (Los Angeles Rams), Aidan Hutchinson (Detroit Lions) and Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, influencers, like YouTube star MrBeast, and fans Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders) is even disguised as a parrot, sliding down the escalator in an attempt to grab Flores’ flags.
The quarterback manages to evade all of them with her impressive speed and athletic ability, and she is assisted by some powerful icons on her side, including tennis legend Billie Jean King, U.S. Women’s National Flag Football team quarterback Vanita Krouch and the first female tackle football player with an NIL deal Bella Rasmussen. The spot ends with the line: “To the women pushing football forward, we can’t wait to see where you take this game.”
“We’ve always prided ourselves in creating Super Bowl ads that deliver blockbuster entertainment to fans worldwide, but what’s notable this year is that ‘Run With It’ is rooted in the game of Flag football, one of our most important long-term strategies. Flag football is universal, inclusive, fast and fun, and with this creative, we are thrilled to not just elevate Flag, but specifically highlight how women are changing the game, driving the future of football forward and inspiring generations to come.”
Tim Ellis, NFL Chief Marketing Officer
The NFL ad was directed by Bryan Buckley, dubbed the “King of the Super Bowl” who has directed more than 60 Super Bowl commercials. Teasers for the spot aired during the Conference Championships, keeping the key plot of the commercial a secret prior to the full ad airing during halftime.
