1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,580 - Gatorade might have already won the US Open, 2 00:00:02,580 --> 00:00:05,100 with a Serena Williams tribute fit for a legend. 3 00:00:05,100 --> 00:00:05,933 I'm Jeff Beer 4 00:00:05,933 --> 00:00:08,620 and this is Fast Company's Brand Hit & Miss of the week. 5 00:00:09,690 --> 00:00:12,210 During Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards, 6 00:00:12,210 --> 00:00:13,950 the newest Beyonce video dropped. 7 00:00:13,950 --> 00:00:14,783 Sort of. 8 00:00:14,783 --> 00:00:16,020 While it was directed by Jake Nava, 9 00:00:16,020 --> 00:00:19,260 the same person behind "Crazy in Love" and "Single Ladies," 10 00:00:19,260 --> 00:00:21,450 this was no ordinary music video. 11 00:00:21,450 --> 00:00:24,720 It was a Gatorade ad and a tribute to the career and legacy 12 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,120 of Beyonce's good friend Serena Williams 13 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,980 before the tennis legend took the court 14 00:00:28,980 --> 00:00:30,990 at her last ever US Open. 15 00:00:30,990 --> 00:00:34,170 On Monday, the brand dropped an extended version of the spot 16 00:00:34,170 --> 00:00:35,700 called "Love Means Everything" 17 00:00:35,700 --> 00:00:38,550 created with agency TBWA\Chiat\Day LA. 18 00:00:38,550 --> 00:00:40,710 And it's pretty close to a masterpiece. 19 00:00:40,710 --> 00:00:42,390 This is the US Open. 20 00:00:42,390 --> 00:00:45,270 One of the most prestigious tennis events on the planet, 21 00:00:45,270 --> 00:00:47,850 and certainly the most iconic on American shores. 22 00:00:47,850 --> 00:00:50,940 Gatorade, as an iconic sports brand and advertiser, 23 00:00:50,940 --> 00:00:53,370 recognizes the symbolism of this moment 24 00:00:53,370 --> 00:00:54,960 and met it with a piece of work 25 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,690 that stylishly attempts to summarize the impact, 26 00:00:57,690 --> 00:01:01,380 inspiration and legacy of one of the greatest athletes ever 27 00:01:01,380 --> 00:01:02,250 to play a sport. 28 00:01:02,250 --> 00:01:04,590 For context, Serena's not only that, 29 00:01:04,590 --> 00:01:08,880 but also one of the best ever pro-athlete brand advertisers. 30 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:10,920 One thing that she's always been great at, 31 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:12,750 and frankly has been a leader on, 32 00:01:12,750 --> 00:01:14,490 is working with brands to convey 33 00:01:14,490 --> 00:01:16,530 who she is beyond the court. 34 00:01:16,530 --> 00:01:17,880 She's not only the GOAT, 35 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,940 she's actually a three-dimensional human being. 36 00:01:20,940 --> 00:01:21,870 Imagine. 37 00:01:21,870 --> 00:01:24,720 Back in 2015, her Beats by Dre ad "Rise," 38 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,030 again released just ahead of the US Open, 39 00:01:27,030 --> 00:01:30,270 was an incredible take on the quieter moments of sports fame 40 00:01:30,270 --> 00:01:31,740 and the weight it carries. 41 00:01:31,740 --> 00:01:34,170 Williams has been with Gatorade since 2009 42 00:01:34,170 --> 00:01:36,690 and made some of her best commercial work with the brand. 43 00:01:36,690 --> 00:01:39,840 Also in 2015, Gatorade dropped "Unmatched," 44 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,900 an ad featuring interview footage of an 11-year old Williams 45 00:01:42,900 --> 00:01:46,050 already determined to be a new style of superstar. 46 00:01:46,050 --> 00:01:46,920 - [Interviewer] If you were tennis player, 47 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:48,420 who would you want to be like? 48 00:01:50,050 --> 00:01:51,990 - Well, I'd like other people to be like me. 49 00:01:51,990 --> 00:01:53,250 - [Jeff] And in 2017, 50 00:01:53,250 --> 00:01:55,680 Williams once again focused on human emotion 51 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,030 over athletic achievement 52 00:01:57,030 --> 00:01:59,640 starring in a touching ode to her then-newborn daughter 53 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,620 in a spot called "Sisters in Sweat" 54 00:02:01,620 --> 00:02:02,580 In this new spot, 55 00:02:02,580 --> 00:02:05,160 the brand walks that balance perfectly once again. 56 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,160 Gatorade does it without overplaying its own presence here 57 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,350 with heavy-handed product shots and the like. 58 00:02:10,350 --> 00:02:12,060 The brand is definitely a star, 59 00:02:12,060 --> 00:02:14,490 a green bottle here, a logo splash there. 60 00:02:14,490 --> 00:02:16,800 But it knows exactly when and how to fade 61 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:17,760 into the background. 62 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:19,950 At that point, the Beyonce voiceover 63 00:02:19,950 --> 00:02:21,630 is really just the game-winning ace. 64 00:02:21,630 --> 00:02:24,960 This US Open may be the last of Serena's tennis career, 65 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:26,790 but thanks to a commercial career 66 00:02:26,790 --> 00:02:29,190 expertly crafted around her whole self, 67 00:02:29,190 --> 00:02:31,830 Gatorade would be smart to keep this partnership going 68 00:02:31,830 --> 00:02:33,360 for as long as it possibly can. 69 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,610 That's it for this week. Thanks for watching.