GoldieBlox Wins Super Bowl Commercial From Intuit

Whether you were rooting for the Seahawks or the Broncos, or just watching for the commercials, you still probably didn't enjoy watching this year's Super Bowl as much as the owners and employees of one small California-based business.

Toy maker GoldieBlox was the winner of this year's “Small Business Big Game” contest, a program sponsored by Intuit, the maker of QuickBooks.Winning the contest earned the Oakland-based developer of STEM-focused toys for girls a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl. STEM stands for the core areas of science, technology, engineering and math, and there is a movement to encourage more interest by girls and young women in these traditionally male-dominated professions.

The value of the advertisement is estimated at $4 million. The full version of the commercial can be seen at: CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/11304338.

In November, Intuit announced the four finalists for the contest, which was available to all small businesses and was based on voting from around the world. The other finalists were:

Barley Labs, of Durham, N.C. – Produces all-natural dog treats in various flavors out of recycled barley from a local brewery.
Locally Laid Egg Company, of Duluth, Minn. – Raises hens on pasture to produce healthier poultry and eggs.
POOP – Natural Dairy Compost, of Nampa, Idaho – Produces natural and odorless composted dairy manure for lawns, gardens and flower beds.

“For the past 100 years, construction toys have inspired our boys to be thinkers, builders, and inventors,” said Debbie Sterling, the founder and “Chief Officer of Fun” at the company. “Our girls deserve the same.”

“I created GoldieBlox because I believe that every girl is more than just a princess, despite what the pink aisle tells them,” she added. “In under a year, we've grown from a home- made prototype to the shelves of Toys R Us. To survive next to Barbie, we need your help disrupting the pink aisle. Oh, and if we win we've got a group of 6 year old girls ready to rush the end zone. In tutus.”

The comment was made prior to the announcement that her company had won. A spokesperson could not be reached on Sunday to determine if the gaggle of girls took the field.

As a part of the contest, entrepreneurs were asked to submit a video explaining the importance of what their company does and how it is helping shape a more positive future. The video entry submitted by GoldieBlox, which is not the commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, can be viewed at www.smallbusinessbiggame.com/CA/GoldieBlox/375943

In addition to the grand prize of the Super Bowl commercial, all of the finalist businesses received:

Free, lifetime use of Intuit small business solutions, including Intuit QuickBooks, payroll and payments.
Professionally produced advertising for their business.
A meeting and business advice from entrepreneur and reality star Bill Rancic.
An all-expense paid trip to New York for a big game viewing party held in their honor.

Small Business Big Game kicked off July 31, 2013, and had tens of thousands of small businesses enter for the chance to win more than $25 million in rewards and offers to help them succeed. Then the field was narrowed to just 20 that Intuit's 8,000 employees around the globe voted on to determine the top four finalists.