Microsoft Advertising McCann

Microsoft ad features first woman to coach in the Super Bowl

By Kyle O'Brien, Creative Works Editor

January 28, 2020 | 3 min read

Microsoft is featuring the first woman to ever coach in the Super Bowl for its big game ad.

Microsoft features first woman to coach in the Super Bowl

Katie Sowers is not only the first woman to coach for the San Francisco 49ers, she is the first woman to coach in the NFL Playoffs, and ‪on 2 February, she will become the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl as an offensive assistant coach.

Her story, as told by Microsoft and McCann, hopes to empower and inspire the next generation of girls and women, as well as anybody who aspires to lead.

Microsoft worked with director Peter Berg to show Sowers telling her own story, from a backyard in Kansas City through her own football career all the way to the top of the NFL. Throughout the ad, she is seen using the Microsoft Surface to map out plays and get the most from her team.

Microsoft claims its mission is to empower every individual and organization on the planet to achieve more. The company’s desire and commitment to supporting ‘Change-Makers’, and its longterm relationship with the NFL led the company to uncover Sowers’ inspiring story – one that demonstrates the power of inclusivity.

The Super Bowl spot is an extension of Microsoft’s ‘Bring it to the Surface’ campaign. Microsoft began working with Sowers in late 2019 and launched a 30-second advertisement for Surface in early January, showing how she uses her Surface Pro 7 on and off the field to enhance her coaching abilities. It also extends the ‘We All Win’ campaign from 2019, which featured the line “When everybody plays, we all win”.

Kathleen Hall, corporate vice-president, brand, advertising and research, Microsoft, said: “We are so honored to have the opportunity to share and be a part of Katie’s story. She is an inspiration to all of us and hopefully to those watching.”

Sowers added: “I am happy to share my story with so many, knowing that by just allowing the world to see how far I have come, so many others can begin their own path on a journey they may have never even known existed. I want anyone who sees my story, not just women, to know that anything is possible if you truly believe it and work for it. Your gender, your sexual orientation, your skin color – those are all just a part of what makes you who you are- those things should never limit how far you can go in this world.”