In NFL's Flag Football Epic, Diana Flores Makes a 'Run for It'

Diana Flores, the fourth-youngest quarterback at the World Games in 2022, and member of the Mexico Women’s Flag National Team, stars in “Run With It,” created by 72andSunny for the NFL. It aired yesterday at the Biggest Game of the year.

The ad marks the first time the league has used priceless Super Bowl time to spotlight youth and women’s flag football. It ran after the halftime show, and opens like a live shot: Flores, looking fresh off the field, gets interviewed by a reporter before the latter lunges for her flags and the chase is on.

“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,” explains Tim Ellis, the NFL’s CMO. “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.”

The chase features impressive cameos. Disguised players that Flores must dodge include Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets, Cam Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders (dressed like a parrot!), the LA Rams’ Jalen Ramsey, Aiden Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions, and even Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. Influencer MRBEAST also appears.

Flores maneuvers past them all, though she’s almost caught by her own mother. As the spot progresses, she’s joined by other women, including tennis icon Billie Jean King, Vanita Krouch of the U.S. Women’s National Flag Football Team and Bella Rasmussen, the first female tackle football player to score an NIL deal.

“To the women pushing football forward, we can’t wait to see where you take this game,” the ad ends. 

Shot by Bryan Buckley, who’s directed over 60 Super Bowl commercials, “Run With It” knows not to make flag football feel like the gladiator sport tackle football has become. (Though, having played flag football in school, we remember tying those banners so tightly around our waist that you’d have to rip us half apart to grab one … and damn it, people tried!) This has more in common with the playful spirit of tag, and it’s a breezy, feel-good watch.

“This film is big news for the NFL. It shows not only our belief, but also conviction and determination to bring women into the game of football,” says 72andSunny ECD Zach Hilder. “Our goal is to not only honor those women pushing the game forward today but also inspire the next generation.”

CREDITS

Brand: NFL 
Agency: 72andSunny Los Angeles
Production: Hungry Man
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors
Color:Company3
VFX/Finishing: Parliament
Sound Design/Mix: Lime Studios