Nike and Serena Williams narrated a powerful message about ‘crazy’ women during the 2019 Oscars.
Williams says in a voiceover, “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. With images of women performing amazing feats of athleticism, the ad continues with Williams saying: “But a woman running a marathon was crazy. A woman boxing was crazy. A woman dunking, crazy. Coaching an NBA team, crazy. A woman competing in a hijab; changing her sport; landing a double-cork 1080; or winning 23 grand slams, having a baby, and then coming back for more, crazy, crazy, crazy, and crazy.” So if they wanna call you crazy? Show them what crazy can do. It’s only crazy until you do it. Just do it.
In the ad, Williams flipped phrases that are usually meant to put women down, into inspirational statements.Williams is no stranger to these double standards. Back in September, she was reprimanded for calling a ref “a thief,” after he called multiple game violations against her during a heated game with opponent, Naomi Osaka, according to Global News.This ad isn’t about the features and benefits of Nike shoes and apparel. It’s about women’s empowerment. It’s about inspiring women to be bold, buck conventional wisdom and go after their wildest dreams.Talking about your products and services has its place. But when you invest in producing marketing that is for the greater good of your customers, you open the door to have more intimate conversations about your products and services in the future.