A new commercial from TBWA\Chiat\Day for Gatorade features tennis star Serena Williams as a young girl, when a reporter asked her what player she'd most like to emulate as an adult.
After an emotional montage of highlights from her subsequent career—she's won 21 major titles, putting her in the upper echelon of her sport, and all athletics—the camera cuts back to the answer she gave as a child. In retrospect, it's bold as well as prescient.
The clip is deftly constructed and features brilliantly animated moments from Williams' on-court career. In one shot, a fan bears a sign reading "Strong is beautiful"—a subtle jab at the body-shaming that has followed her fame, a subject that found fresh fuel in a New York Times article this summer.
The ad builds on Gatorade's "Win from Within" tagline. Three more clips (shown below) delve deeper into Williams' backstory. In her own words, she talks about the contributions her father made to her career, and how the competitive relationship with her sister Venus helped drive her success.
Hardcore fans may also appreciate the 21 pieces of artwork Gatorade commissioned to represent each of Williams' past wins at the majors—the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. The pieces are available online with individual blurbs and were combined into a mural in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Williams is currently competing in the U.S. Open. If she wins the tournament, she will have taken all four majors this year, marking her first calendar-year Grand Slam, the first in the sport since 1988.
CREDITS
Client: Gatorade
Chief Marketing Officer: Morgan Flatley
Senior Director, Consumer Engagement: Kenny Mitchell
Director of Digital Strategy: Jeff Miller
Senior Marketing Manager, Digital: Abhishek Jadon
Assistant Marketing Manager: Emily Morrison
Senior Director, Sports Marketing: Jeff Kearney
Sports Marketing Manager: Aminah Charles
Director of PR Lauren Burns
TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles
Chief Creative Officer: Stephen Butler
Executive Creative Director: Brent Anderson
Worldwide Creative Director: Renato Fernandez
Copywriter: Parker Adame
Art Director: Matt Paterno
Director Of Production: Brian O'Rourke
Senior Producer: Christopher Spencer
Senior Producer: Jose Escobar
Producer: Garrison Askew
Managing Director: Peter Ravailhe
Director Branded Content: Marc Johns
Brand Director: Simon Nicholls
Assistant Brand Manager: Erika Buder
Group Planning Director: Scott MacMaster
Global Planning Director: Martin Ramos
Planning Director: Abigail Weintraub
Planner: Matt Bataclan
Junior Planner: Joe Elliott
Director Of Business Affairs: Linda Daubson
Business Affairs Manager: Laura Drabkin
Talent Payment Manager: Mirielle Smith
Talent Payment Manager: Annie Boyle
FleishmanHillard
Senior Vice President: Courtney Quaye
Managing Supervisor: Brian Gabriel
OMD/OS
Group Account Director, OMD: Susanna Earnest
Digital Strategy Supervisor, OMD: Brandon Saranik
Digital Marketplace Supervisor, OMD: Sadie Olen
Strategist, OMD: MiRon Leveston
Associate Media Director, Optimum Sports: Natalie Behrman
Supervisor, Optimum Sports: Adrienne Voltaggio
VML
Group Account Director: Stephanie DeCelles
Sr. Account Manager: Maggie Glenski
Senior Social Strategist: Kyle Rogers
Senior Community Manager: Charles Gooch
Production Company: Mandalay Sports Media
Director: Ron Yassen
DP: Pablo Berron
Executive Producer: John Hirsch
Editorial: Venice Beach Editorial
Editor: Garrett Smith
Editor: Julia Bute
Executive Producer: Cristy Torres
Color Grade: MPC
Colorist: Ricky Gausis
Color Producer: Summer McCloskey
Audio Mix/SFX: Lime Studios
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan
Mixer: Mark Meyuhas
Assistant Mixer: Matt Miller
Audio Mix: Barking Owl Sound
CD/Partner: Kelly Bayett
Mixer: Rommel Molina
Assistant Mixer: Patrick Navarre
Music: Barking Owl Sound
CD/Partner: Kelly Bayett
Producer: KC Dossett
Online/Finishing: MPC
Executive Producer: Karen Anderson
Producer: Abisayo Abejare
VFX Artist: Mark Holden