Super Bowl LVII doesn’t happen until Feb. 12, but it’s already one for the history books. Not only will two brothers face each other for the NFL Championship, but two champions – tennis icon Serena Williams and the family-owned cognac Rémy Martin – are coming together for the spirit’s first Super Bowl commercial. In the ad released during the first quarter of Super Bowl LVII, Serena walks into a football locker room. “I don’t know what to say,” she says. “We’re in the dark right now. And can stay here, or we can fight our way back to the light – one inch at a time.”
From there, Serena’s words (Al Pacino‘s speech from Any Given Sunday) echo as we see different teams – dance teams, football teams, a team of chefs – in action. “In this team, we tear ourselves and everyone around us for that inch.”
Serena’s inspirational speech points out how a single inch means the difference between “winning and losing.” And there are people who are willing to fight for that inch. “That’s a team, ladies and gentlemen,” she says as a glass of Remy Martin is poured for her. “What are you going to do?”
In the first tease of the commercial, coinciding with Rémy Martin’s “Inch By Inch” campaign, Serena sits at a bar in a golden satin jacket and maroon sweater, her hair down to her shoulders. A class of Rémy Martin’s VSOP cognac brandy is poured for Serena, and she looks at the camera.
And that’s it! A second teaser shows Serena walking down a tunnel. It’s all a short taste of the “Inch by Inch” campaign, which aims to show “how great success cannot be accomplished alone, and that as part of a collective team, true excellence can be achieved,” the brand says in a press release.
“When developing ‘Inch by Inch,’ we wanted to create an inspirational concept that transcends time and find a spokesperson that embodies the values of Rémy Martin, which is grounded in an unwavering pursuit of excellence through family, our partners, and collective success,” said Jean-Philippe Hecquet, Chief Executive Officer of the House of Rémy Martin, adds in the announcement. “Serena Williams, as the greatest female athlete of all time and a cultural icon, was the perfect choice.”
“She is a global inspiration, and inch by inch, Williams and her team have made history by breaking down barriers, striving for excellence, and achieving greatness,” continues Hecquet. “We are honored to partner with her for our first-ever Super Bowl campaign and believe that together Rémy Martin’s quest for excellence will continue to go further, always achieving greater feats.”
“I am honored and excited to be able to work with Rémy Martin, whose core values are so similar to my own personal principles,” said Serena Williams in a statement. “Rémy Martin is a brand based on generosity, authenticity, and teamwork, all qualities that I have taken great strides to incorporate in my life and my career. Together, we’re incredibly excited to inspire others with ‘Inch by Inch’ and team up in pursuit of excellence, which is a message that has always resonated with me and I’m sure will resonate with viewers nationwide.”
This commercial marks the third year Rémy Cointreau was present at the Super Bowl. In 2022, Rémy Cointreau aired a 30-second spot across 17 markets from its Islay gin brand, The Botanist. In 2021, they ran a 30-second spot in 15 markets for Cointreau, the premium French liqueur. This year marks the SB debut of Rémy Martin.