Women’s sports get little media coverage compared to men’s sports, meaning that many people miss some of the best game-winning moments. Buick is trying to bring attention to those moments through its “See Her Greatness” campaign in time for Women’s History Month and the NCAA March Madness tournament.
The ads, created by Leo Burnett Detroit, feature the audio from some of the great moments in women’s athletics. As the announcers call the exciting action, words on a black screen state what the moment was, the athlete featured and the stark words, “But you probably didn’t see it.” It then flashes a statistic that 40% of athletes are women but they get less than 10% of the media coverage.
The first spot showcases Arike Ogunbowale‘s championship game winner for Notre Dame in the 2018 NCAA women’s final.
Other ads feature moments from hockey player Élizabeth Giguère and swimmer Missy Franklin. The campaign will debut March 12 and will continue throughout the year.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Title IX ruling that mandated gender equality in education and athletics. As a longstanding NCAA partner, Buick will run an equal number of ads in the women’s and men’s March Madness tournaments.
“What is important to our customers is important to Buick as the brand with the largest percentage share of female buyers, and we are committed to inclusivity and equality for women,” said Molly Peck, Buick and GMC marketing vice president, in a statement. “These remarkable female athletes have demonstrated the dedication, teamwork and leadership skills that can be used on and off the playing field, and we believe her greatness should be seen.”
Buick is also working with TOGETHXR, a female-led media company designed to showcase women and girls as game changers. It’s led by athletes Sue Bird, Chloe Kim, Alex Morgan and Simone Manuel. The collaboration will create inclusive content to help increase representation and host “mentor huddles”—discussions between female athletes during major NCAA tournaments.
“TOGETHXR is on a mission to showcase and build business with and for the amazing diverse women changing the world through sport and activism,” Jessica Robertson, TOGETHXR’s chief content officer, said in a statement.
All the content can be seen on a dedicated page on Buick’s website.