"Never be afraid of your strength, own it and see how far it takes you" - Serena Williams in powerful new ad campaign
Serena Williams' latest Super Bowl ad for Tonal Systems Inc has the tennis legend sending out a powerful message, one that, according to Williams herself, is about celebrating the strength of women.
In the short video campaign, which has been widely shared on social media platforms since initially appearing on the company's official handles, the 23-time Major winner encourages women to embrace their strength and "be their strongest."
"Never be afraid of your strength because your body is capable of amazing things, The one they said you shouldn't have, the one driven by a power they can't see. Own your strength and see how far it takes you," Williams says in the video campaign.
Discussing her deeper connections with the brand and this particular campaign in a recent Bloomberg interview, the former World No. 1 said the idea was to celebrate women who are not only physically strong, but mentally and emotionally tough as well.
The American added that only by embracing your strength can you achieve amazing things.
“What I love about this Tonal campaign, ‘Strength Made Me,’ is that it celebrates women who are not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally strong,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion said.
“The key takeaway is to embrace your strength, no matter what other people tell you,” she added. “And you can achieve amazing things.”
“it’s important for us to give opportunities to those getting skipped over” - Serena Williams on backing women-owned businesses
Williams, who owns her own venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, has made plenty of business investments over the years. During the same Bloomberg interview, the American said that while tennis has been the primary focus of her life, she cannot compete forever.
Williams added that she has been making a conscious effort to back women-owned businesses, saying that it was important for her to have a diverse team.
“I love playing tennis, but know I can’t do it forever,” she said. “I would see companies pop up, like Instagrams and Snapchats, and wanted to understand how I could get on those cap tables. I asked around, did my due diligence, then started investing.”
“I built my team to have no unconscious biases, so we invest in everyone,” she continued. “But it’s important for us to give opportunities to those getting skipped over -- if the founder happens to be a woman, or happens to be a person of color, that’s a bonus for us. Our portfolio is 60% diverse." founders.”