An athlete is immortalized through their achievements. However, achievements don’t come easily. In its latest promotion, Nike takes a vow to disclose the secret motivation behind what makes their athletes extraordinary in their field. Serena Williams, despite being out of the sport since 2022, found a feature alongside Olympians participating in Paris. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian couldn’t help but drop his priceless compliment for the initiative.

Nike’s promo offered an extraordinary impact, with Willem Dafoe’s monologue in the backdrop, asking the viewers to respond, “Are these athletes bad people?” His monologue further shows the critique such athletes face. “I have no empathy. I don’t respect you. I’m never satisfied. I have an obsession with power. I’m loud,” such words of Dafoe might show the athlete as a “bad person” but combined with the video it shows the attitude required to remain on top. Dafoe further says, “I’m delusional. I’m maniacal. Do you think I’m a bad person? Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, am I?”

Nike found praise from the Reddit co-founder for their advertisement. “Clutch VO, too. Great ad,” wrote Ohanian. Ohanian’s compliment shed light on Nike’s recent promo that features a special motivation for the athletes, which also featured Serena Williams, who has won the Olympic gold four times, once in singles and thrice in doubles. 

“Winning Isn’t For Everyone. It’s for those who do whatever it takes. You can’t win them all, but you should sure as hell try. Bring on the odds, play like you mean it. Because if you don’t want to win, congrats. You’ve already lost,” wrote Nike when they shared the video on Instagram. 

The American sportswear company knows that it takes a little extra enthusiasm and zeal to be the victor. The advertisement featured talented athletes like LeBron James, Sha’Carri Richardson, A’ja Wilson, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen showing how these sportspersons are determined to go to any length to win the game. This promo also featured Serena Williams despite her retirement two years back as a symbol of resilience and indomitable spirit.

Nike’s new advertisement delves into what it takes to be “better than everyone else.” While the advertisement featured all the talented athletes, Serena Williams’ presence stole Ohanian’s heart, provoking him to drop his opinion about this extraordinary campaign.

Nike has always shown their admiration for Williams, even after she left the sport. In April, they released a promotional video featuring the Queen of the Court and it crossed the barrier of promotion to invoke a protest for those who are forced to stay silent.

Nike’s “Dream Crazier” advertisement featured Serena Williams to promote equality

Earlier this year in April, Nike released a 90-minute commercial that featured many prominent athletes including Serena Williams. In this advertisement, Williams spoke about the differentiated treatment women athletes face. “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. 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,” Williams said in the advertisement.

Williams not only speaks about discrimination but also drops an interesting message for women to challenge such social challenges. “So if they want to call you crazy, fine, Show them what crazy can do.” 

Nike’s latest advertisement featuring Olympians offers a great spirit to the audience. Serena Williams’ presence is a bonus to that, and it did not escape her hubby’s notice. How many of Nike’s athletes will find glory in the Games?