Serena Williams has appeared in a Nike advert promoting female empowerment, just a few weeks after she delivered a similar message in Bumble’s first Super Bowl commercial.
In the new video, Williams speaks over clips of inspirational female athletes and their impressive achievements, highlighting the criticism they receive.
The tennis superstar says: “If we show emotion, we’re called dramatic. If we want to play against men, we’re nuts. And if we dream of equal opportunity, delusional – And if we get angry, we’re hysterical, irrational, or just being crazy.”
The video then goes on to show other actions that were once considered “crazy”, such as a woman running a marathon, dunking a basketball or competing in a hijbab.
The Bumble commercial also featured Williams talking over visuals, but the story of that advert followed her own personal journey to becoming a champion athlete, businesswoman, mother and role model.
The message focused on the social app’s mantra of women making the first move, creating opportunities and having power.
Realeyes Emotional Intelligence conducted an analysis of the effectiveness of Super Bowl LIII commercials. Bumble ranked bottom of the 62 adverts, with experts suggesting that this was because audiences didn’t associate the celebrity with the brand.
Williams concludes the Nike advert by encouraging women to “show them what crazy can do”.
The sportswear company ran a similar “Dream Crazy” campaign in September with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, prompting Ashley Madison to produce a parody billboard.
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