Serena Williams is ‘doing it for herself’ in Berlei Sport’s new work via Emotive + Parlour Creative

Serena Williams is celebrated as one of the greatest sportspeople of all time. Her skills on the court are legendary, but it’s her off-court love of dance that Berlei celebrates in this new brand campaign developed in partnership with content agency Emotive and Parlour Creative.

In the first of a series of digital content pieces we see Serena, in a studio alone, dancing with abandon to The Donnas’ cover of Billy Idol’s iconic 80’s track “Dancing with Myself”. It’s a loose, playful, expressive side of Williams, where she is truly doing something for herself. Launching alongside this is a brand film titled ‘Behind the Dance’, providing the audience with an intimate insight into Williams’ feelings on the importance of women investing in and focusing on themselves.

VIEW THE HERO SPOT

View behind the scenes film

View the first product spot

View the second product spot

View the third product spot

View the first social short

View the second social short

The content-led campaign provides an intimate look at Williams the woman and what drives and inspires her. For Berlei, it expresses the essence of its relationship with women through the brand positioning ‘Do It For Yourself’.

Says Williams: “‘Do It For Yourself’ is really about focusing on ourselves as women.  Celebrating our female strength, power and beauty.  We need to take time for ourselves, invest in ourselves, and be strong.”

Says Zoe Hayes, marketing director, Berlei: “Our partnership with Serena goes well beyond her love of our bras. We have shared beliefs and this campaign beautifully encapsulates that – we encourage all women to fuel their fire through self-investment.”

The campaign will roll out across social video platforms, including Williams’ social channels, digital OOH and Berlei assets.

Says Hayes: “The choice of content first for the campaign allowed us to delve into the richness and beauty that sits behind this idea, rather than being restricted by a 30 second spot.”

Says Simon Joyce, CEO, Emotive: “Berlei is a progressive brand that understands the value of creating content for their audience that is both entertaining and emotional. Platform intentionality is key, with each of the seven pieces of content featuring Serena tailored to the respective social platforms, and working in harmony to drive a ‘content to commerce’ result.”

Of course, the challenge with a superstar like Williams is to create genuine content. The world is used to seeing her perform.

Says Jo Swan and Tiara Valder, Parlour Creative: “Serena has danced on Berlei shoots for years, off camera, so we knew it was something she genuinely did for herself. Dancing at its best is a celebration of self.  It was that we wanted to capture in this content – both the essence of Serena and Berlei, a brand that honours and supports women. We also knew she was a big fan of 80’s music. The Donna’s take of Billy Idol’s famous song was the perfect fit.”

Berlei has been a trusted part of Williams’ armour since her mum discovered the brand in Melbourne during the 2006 Australian Open. Since then, Berlei has been the only bra she wears for training, competition (and dancing for herself).

Client: Berlei

Location: Hollywood Dance Centre