Sportswear giant Nike is synonymous with numerous inspirational advertisements, the kind that asks viewers to bust myths, crush conventions and redefine the word ‘impossible’. It has just dropped its latest one which celebrates mothers in sports and features, among others, Serena Williams.
The brand couldn’t have asked for a better face to profile than the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
The new Nike ad shows Serena Williams and her daughter Alexis Olympia on the backyard practice court
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A tennis champion, supermom, doting wife, entrepreneur and many more, Serena truly exemplifies the tagline for the latest spot which goes, “To every mother, everywhere: You’re the toughest athlete.”
Hard-selling the idea that motherhood doesn’t signal the end of one’s sporting aspirations but, instead, inspires a bigger crack at glory, the advertisement features mothers and would-be moms across diverse sporting fields striving for excellence.
And even as they do so, they don’t trade their motherly instincts or catering to the needs of their little ones.
To every mother, everywhere: you are the toughest athlete. pic.twitter.com/9qa88DlkAZ
— Nike (@Nike) March 14, 2021
Among the many faces that appear on the spot are that of Serena and her three-year-old bundle of joy, Alexis Olympia.
It shows the 39-year-old American giving a five to her daughter at her backyard practice court.
Serena Williams recently said she can’t imagine being without her daughter during tournaments
Serena brings her daughter along during her travels and is often pictured playing with her when she is not pummeling opponents into submission on the court.
She was quoted as saying during the Australian Open that she can’t imagine being without her daughter during tournaments.
From an athlete breastfeeding her infant at practice to another bending down to stretch despite a belly bump, the spot captures myriad symbolic moments to drive home the message that moms are, by far, the best athletes.
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There’s another powerful moment in the advertisement where a surfer cruises on a surfboard while feeling her baby bulge.
Among other moments that stand out is a mother bending down to kiss her child while doing push-ups and a would-be mom stopping in the middle of a run and stooping to her haunches to catch her breath.
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As these moments roll one after the other, the voice in the background says “pushing, pushing and pushing”, a word symbiotically associated with pregnancy and one which also signifies setting one’s limits.