Nike 'Dream Crazier' ad celebrates female athletes, but some are calling its message 'delusional'

Dramatic. Delusional. Hysterical. Crazy.

These are just a few sexist adjectives used to describe female athletes who have ever dared to compete, display emotion or achieve the same things as their male counterparts. However, in Nike’s newest inspiring ad, tennis icon Serena Williams redefines what it means to be “crazy” — challenging female athletes to “show them what crazy can do.”

The new Nike spot titled “Dream Crazier” starts out by criticizing all the sexist ways female athletes are unfairly judged.

“If we show emotion, we’re called dramatic. And if we dream of equal opportunity, delusional. When we’re too good, there’s something wrong with us… And if we get angry, we’re hysterical, irrational or just being crazy,” booms Williams’ voice over a video montage of real female athletes in basketball, soccer, football, track and more.

Then in a dramatic turn, Williams goes on to point out all the incredible things female athletes have dared to achieve that were once believed to be “crazy.”

“But a woman running a marathon was crazy. A woman boxing was crazy. A woman dunking, crazy…Winning 23 grand slams, having a baby, then coming back for more? Crazy,” Williams narrates as images of Simon Biles, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Chloe Kim, and the U.S. Women’s Soccer team appear.

“So if they want to call you crazy? Fine, show them what crazy can do,” Serena Williams challenges at the end of the spot. The “Dream Crazier” ad premiered during the broadcast of the 2019 Academy Award. It is the latest in a series of Nike campaigns that confronts divisive issues in sports today.

Earlier this year, the sports brand kicked off the 30 year anniversary of its iconic “Just Do It” slogan with a commercial featuring NFL player Colin Kaepernick sparking conversations about race relations today and professional athlete’s freedom of speech. Now, the company is tackling sexism in sports with director Kim Gehrig, the female visionary behind Gillette’s recent ad on toxic masculinity.

“The ‘Dream Crazier’ spot is the start of a journey celebrating women in sport ahead of soccer’s biggest moment in France this summer. It is about helping athletes realize their full potential even in the face of adversity,” a Nike representative told Adweek.

“The use of Serena Williams as the narrator amongst a number of athletes reflects her standing as one of the most inspirational athletes of her generation who empowers girls to continue to believe in their own crazy dream.”

And the ad is doing just that. The spot has received an overwhelming response online with women sharing their own experiences along with pictures of daughters, sisters and themselves defying expectations in sports. “I played basketball against men for many years, I was better than some & some were better than me” British Paralympian Louise Sugden shared on Twitter. “Now I bench 115kg… the message of the ad is to challenge perceptions & I love it!”

While the ad has primarily received a positive response, it has also drawn biting criticism for virtue signaling and conveying the message that all women can achieve these feats. “They’re trying to make women believe they can beat any men in any events,” wrote one Twitter user. “That’s just delusional, everything else in the ad was fine, but that part is just really rich.”

However, most women have remained unfazed by the negative response, instead striking back with comments of their own. “The comments on this ad on Twitter and Instagram really show you how angry men get when women are empowered,” wrote one Twitter user.

See all the top responses to Nike’s inspiring ‘Dream Crazier’ ad — good and bad — below.

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