From Wimbledon to the cover of Vogue, Serena William’s career has been nothing short of legendary. Williams has used her athletic prowess to transcend barriers that had previously limited how female athletes were supposed to look and act. By being unabashed in her strength and unapologetically bold (in every sense of the word), Williams has helped completely redefine women in sport.
In this brief commercial, Nike celebrates International Women’s Day (March 8th, 2018) with a powerful message and montage. William’s voiceover expresses the many ways she has been criticized throughout her career for being not feminine enough, and how she has not only overcome but also completely disregarded that narrative:
“I’ve never been the right kind of woman. Oversized and overconfident. Too mean if I don’t smile. Too black for my tennis whites. Too motivated for motherhood. But I am proving, time and time again, there’s no wrong way to be a woman.”
–Serena Williams for Nike
The empowering clip ends with the mantra, “Until We All Win”, a statement promoting gender equality both in and beyond athletics.