Coco Gauff vs The Doubters: American star shines in UPS' anime-style "Be Unstoppable" campaign
Coco Gauff shines in United Parcel Service's (UPS) "Be Unstoppable" campaign, inspired by anime. A known anime fan, the American tennis star transforms into an animated character in the UPS promo titled "Coco vs. The Doubters."
UPS, an American multinational shipping and supply chain management company, partnered with Gauff to create a limited edition box. The box was released ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics and is inspired by the youngster's speech after her triumphant US Open campaign last year.
The 20-year-old recently received one of the boxes and shared a video on her Instagram Story. The clip shows her receiving the box, followed by an animated version of her playing tennis.
“People told me I was too young, that I needed to focus on tennis, not do multiple things at once, and stay in my lane,” Coco Gauff said (via the UPS website).
“I saw there were a lot of characteristics that were similar with small business owners – even though our roles are so different, we have a lot in common because doubters have fueled us.”
The small business owners who also feature on the limited edition boxes are Kristen Duning, founder of Gently Soap, Collin Gill, co-founder of Frères Branchiaux, and Ben Johnson, founder of Sneaker Mechanic.
"The campaign was inspired by my speech after the US Open 2023" - Coco Gauff on her collaboration with UPS
Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the 2023 US Open to win her maiden Grand Slam title. She explained how she prepared by watching anime before the event.
The 20-year-old expressed gratitude to her best friend in a post on X in 2020, who introduced her to the world of anime. She has since then come across the stories of "My Hero Academia" and "Demon Slayer" among several other animes.
In an interview with Teen Vogue in July 2024, she revealed the inspiration behind her UPS campaign was her love for anime which she expressed after the US Open triumph.
"So the campaign was inspired by my speech after the US Open. It resonated with a lot of people. [UPS] really loved the idea of anime and tying it into small business owners and how people can sometimes say, ‘you're too young to do this,’ or ‘you should work a traditional job,’" Gauff said.
She explained how the doubts she’s faced as an athlete mirrored the challenges small business owners experience. As a result, the campaign features her alongside several small business owners.