Serena Williams joins #itouchmyselfproject and sings in International Breast Cancer Awareness Month ad
Tennis star and Berlei brand ambassador Serena Williams has joined the #itouchmyselfproject campaign which launched in 2014 featuring top Australian singers performing ‘I Touch Myself’.
Created by J. Walter Thompson Sydney and Berlei, the campaign shows Williams singing I Touch Myself to encourage women to “touch themselves” in order to stay informed about their breast health.
The campaign is a continuation of the brand’s 2014 ‘I Touch Myself Project’ which saw ten of Australia’s leading female singers reinvent the Divinyls’ 1980s hit song as an anthem for early breast cancer detection.
The initial rendition of the song was released as a tribute to Divinyls’ member, Chrissy Amphlett, who passed away from breast cancer in 2013.
Williams’ version of the song, which is set to be released through her own social channels later in the week, has been directed by Grammy-nominated Daniel Askill.
Meanwhile, a short 60 second television commercial has also been developed.
The new campaign will also run across print, outdoor, online and on TV.
Simon Langley, J. Walter Thompson Sydney’s ECD, said in a statement: “Serena is a passionate believer in women taking care of themselves and, although she has never recorded a song before, chose to sing this breast health anthem as a powerful reminder of the importance of self-examination.
“Getting young women to pay attention to a breast cancer message isn’t easy. But grabbing their attention with the things they love is. So we decided to start this important conversation by speaking to some of their greatest passions: music, sport and celebrity. And Serena is no ordinary celebrity. She’s a strong, powerful ambassador who is not afraid to stand up and make herself heard on the issues close to her heart.”
As part of the campaign Berlei has released a limited edition snakeskin printed rock star range dedicated to Amphlett. 100% of the profits from the range will be donated to Breast Cancer Network Australia.
Williams first starred in Berlei campaigns in January last year when it released its ‘Do it for yourself’ campaign.
Although The Monkeys is Berlei’s creative agency of record, JWT handles Berlei’s purpose driven campaigns.
Andrea Michelle, marketing manager at Berlei, added: “We’ve been thrilled to bring together our long-term Berlei ambassador Serena Williams, and the I Touch Myself Project, uniting for a common purpose and to raise money for Breast Cancer Network Australia.”
Credits:
- I Touch Myself Credits
Starring: Serena Williams
Director: Daniel Askill
Music Director: Charley Drayton
Chorus Harmony Vocal: Chrissy Amphlett
Music Producer/ Programmer /Mix engineer /Guitar/ Visual music arranger: Pat Thrall
Recording voice coach to Serena Williams: Koo Abuali
Original music track – I Touch Myself
Original Songwriters: Christina Amphlett, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg & Mark McEntee - Creative and Strategy: J. Walter Thompson Sydney
Executive Creative Director: Simon Langley
Associate Creative Director: Sinead Roarty
Senior Creative / Art Director: Alex Antoniou
Client Services Director: Ana Lynch
Senior Strategist: Heather Morrison
Social Media Strategist: Craig Mack
Account Manager: Ellie Sutton
Account Manager: Bronte Rohrig
Senior Producer: Amanda Slatyer
Senior Producer: Tracey-Lee Permall (Hogarth)
Microsite: Mirum Australia - Music Studio: Song Zu Sydney
Production Company: Collider
Executive Producer: Sara Greco – Strangelove
Producers: Lucy Bidwell & Lucy Pilkington
DoP: Todd Banhaz.
Editor: Lorin Askill
Post Production – Hogarth - Client: Berlei
Division Manager: Holli Michelle
Marketing Manager: Andrea Michelle
Brand Manager: Chontelle Clark - Media: OMD Melbourne
Business Director: Kylie Pascoe
Account Director: Camilla Wallace
Account Manager: Jasmine Poole
Public Relations – MINT
Client Services Director: Miranda Bryce
Abigail Dawson was Mumbrella's senior content journalist covering event content. She left Mumbrella to move into an agency role in 2020.
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