NFL Spotlights Mexican Flag Football Star Diana Flores in Historic Super Bowl Ad
The Super Bowl LVII this year featured a halftime show by Rihanna and official artwork by Chicana/Indigenous artist Lucinda “La Morena” Hinojosa
Photo: Instagram/@dianaflres33
The Super Bowl LVII this year featured a halftime show by Rihanna and official artwork by Chicana/Indigenous artist Lucinda “La Morena” Hinojosa. Another special highlight during the game was seeing Mexican flag football star and national team captain Diana Flores, 24, front and center during a Super Bowl ad. In what felt like a shout-out to Mexico and the wider Latinx community much like Shakira and J.Lo’s halftime performance in 2020, the ad featured Flores showcasing her speed, strength, and agility as she outran sports broadcasters, neighbors, and even her own mother who were trying to grab her flags. The “Run With It” campaign is the first commercial in the NFL’s history to feature youth and women’s flag football, making it a historical moment that filled many Mexicans and Latinxs with pride.
“The time is now and long overdue,” actress Denise Santos, who plays Flores’s mother in the ad, tells HipLatina. “As a millennial mom, it makes me proud to see younger people take action and not be afraid to make good trouble. Diana is a beautiful example because she is using her talents, her skills, her platform, and her voice to uplift and shine a light. Success in a traditionally male-dominated world is possible and the numbers show it. This commercial will catch the attention of both young and seasoned athletes, women, and Latinos who make up a majority of viewers and consumers. The goal is that these images will be so normal that it will no longer be a surprise, but rather an expectation.”
“Here’s to all the women taking the game forward. Proud to be a part of the @nfl #sblvii commercial,” Flores said in an Instagram post showcasing the ad.
The national spotlight that Flores has received in the U.S. has been a long time coming. At just 16 years old, she was recruited onto the Mexican national team and has represented her home country at five World Games in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022 when she helped her team win the gold medal. She was the fourth youngest quarterback at The World Games in 2022. She is the team captain for Mexico’s national team and uses her platform to inspire other young girls and women to push against the glass ceiling and break down barriers in such a male-dominated landscape. Flores is also an ambassador for the NFL and International Federation of American Football which are actively campaigning for flag football to be played at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
We’re so excited to see Latina athletes taking center stage in such huge cultural and historical moments in the U.S. and look forward to seeing how else women make a name for themselves in sports!
