Football stars weren’t the only elite athletes who filled the screen at Sunday night’s Super Bowl. A Nike ad featured U.S. Olympic gold medallist Sha’Carri Richardson, alongside several other female sports stars, using powerful clips of the athletes to reinforce Nike’s slogan, “Just do it,” and encourage women and girls to rise above doubt and criticism in sport. “There’s one guarantee in sport,” Nike captioned its post on Twitter. “You’ll be told you can’t do it. So do it anyway. You can’t win. So Win.”
There’s one guarantee in sport. You’ll be told you can’t do it. So do it anyway.
You can’t win. So Win.
🎤@officialdoechii pic.twitter.com/Fcu9VXQbnA
— Nike (@Nike) February 10, 2025
The ad begins with a clip of Richardson ready in the starting blocks, awaiting the gun. She’s decked out in a Nike outfit with a tulle cape, accessorized by her iconic long hair and nails. “You can’t be demanding,” narrates Grammy-winning rapper Doechii (whose real name is Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon). “You can’t be relentless. You can’t put yourself first–so, put yourself first.”
Joining Richardson in the ad are WNBA star Caitlin Clark, U.S. Open champion Aryna Sablenka, Spanish soccer player Alexa Putellas and Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles. Clips of the athletes nodding and gesturing at the camera as Doechii narrates are interspersed with clips of them mid-competition–including Richardson hurtling to a 2023 World Championships title.
Since inking a five-year, $20 million contract with Nike last March, Richardson has become a prominent name in major events and spectacles. In July, she starred in Nike’s inspiring campaign, “Winning isn’t for everyone,” alongside Jakob Ingebrigtsen, LeBron James and Serena Williams. Just last week, Richardson was named to the Met Gala’s host committee, joining a distinguished group of athletes, designers, actors and musicians.
The sprinter rose to fame when she shattered the 100m collegiate record in her freshman year at Louisiana State University, and has since gone on to win 100m gold at the 2023 world championships in Budapest, and 100m silver and 4 x 100m gold at Paris 2024.
