Serena Williams made not one but two appearances at the Oscars. The tennis pro presented A Star Is Born during the ceremony. Shortly afterward, she was featured in a new Nike ad.
The ad is a follow-up to one titled “Dream Crazy,” which featured Colin Kaepernick and was first aired during the NFL’s regular season opener in September. “Dream Crazier” is also meant to begin the drumbeat to the Women’s World Cup this summer and it includes members of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, as well as three Olympic medalists: gymnast Simone Biles, snowboarder Chloe Kim, and fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.
Show them what crazy dreams can do. #justdoit pic.twitter.com/3fo2XMVkBT
— Nike (@Nike) February 24, 2019
“If we show emotion, we’re called dramatic,” Williams, says in the ad. “If we want to play against men, we’re nuts. And if we dream of equal opportunity, we’re delusional. When we stand for something, we’re unhinged. When we’re too good, there’s something wrong with us. And if we get angry, we’re hysterical, irrational, or just being crazy. ”
The Nike ad is part of a relatively new marketing strategy for the brand: using social justice to sell sneakers and workout gear. After capitalizing off the Kaepernick buzz, Nike is clearly ready to jump on the women’s movement with Williams on the frontline.
