Whilst she may haven’t been on the court in recent weeks, Serena Williams is certainly keeping herself busy in the world of business as she stars in two adverts which will be broadcast during the 56th Super Bowl.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion takes center stage in an advertisement for Tonal Systems Inc.’s home fitness gym. It is by no means a coincidence that Williams is taking part in the company’s marketing campaign. She was an early investor in Tonal which was valued at a staggering $1bn during a funding round last year, according to Bloomberg. Another notable investor is Maria Sharapova.
“The way I train is always changing, but strength training has been fundamental to my performance, and that’s why I love the Tonal so much. It’s a different way to train that challenges me and has made me a lot stronger,” Williams said in a press release announcing her appointment as Tonal brand ambassador.
“In the beginning of my career, I didn’t embrace strength — I had it, I looked it, I felt it, but I didn’t embrace it. Once I did, I realized that there is something so beautiful about being strong, and I’m proud to be a part of this Tonal campaign that celebrates that.”
During the advert Williams is filmed using the Tonal gym equipment before saying “never be afraid of your strength, because your body is capable of amazing things. … Own your strength, and see how far it takes you.” The aim of the advert is to change misconceptions around weight training among the female demographic. Tonal says their recently launched “Strength Made Me” campaign celebrates women being strong both mentally and physically.
Broadcasting an advert during the Super Bowl is a lucrative business to say the least. According to one estimate by CNBC, NBC is charging up to $6.5M for a 30-second advert to be shown on their network during the game. Last year’s showdown attracted a TV viewership of 91.6M in America and that was it’s lowest audience for 15 years.
Williams isn’t just going to be gracing her presence on the screen this weekend once, she is going to do at least twice as she is also involved in a second advert. She will also star in a promo for Michelob Ultra beer alongside Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler, WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike, soccer player Alex Morgan and pro-golfer Brooks Koepka.
“This year, Michelob Ultra made a commitment to supporting gender equality in sports,” Williams said in an interview with PEOPLE. “And it was so great to see that come into fruition when they decided to put that commitment to action by having just as many female athletes in this Super Bowl ad as they had male athletes.
“It’s a great opportunity to applaud the brand for just elevating female athletes, and really walking the walk and talking the talk.”
This isn’t the first time Williams has been linked with the Super Bowl in some way. Last year she also starred in two adverts broadcasted during the game for Nintendo Switch and the other for Michelob Ultra.
