How Cheetos, Nike, Facebook and others plan to own the Super Bowl social media conversation

Nike

Instead of spending around $5.5 million to air its own ad during the Super Bowl, Nike is partnering with the National Football League to launch a $5 million grant initiative towards growing girls flag football at high schools and athletic associations across the country. As part of the effort, Nike is giving out a one-time donation of up to $100,000 in uniforms and accessories to various athletic organizations that offer girls flag football. The goal is to grow the sport for girls, which is currently offered in just six states—Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and New York.

“Girls flag demonstrates that football is for all, and the greater the participation, the stronger the game, and the more young women can build the transferrable skills football provides for achieving success in life,” says Troy Vincent, NFL’s executive VP of football operations, in a blog post.

A social campaign called “Stronger Than One” supports the new initiative leading up to, and during, Super Bowl weekend. The video highlights NFL women moving the sport forward for women, including Katie Sowers, former assistant offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers; Emily Zaler, Broncos strength and conditioning coach; Jennifer King, Washington offensive assistant; Cynthia Frelund, NFL network lead analytic analyst; and Colleen Wolfe, NFL network anchor.