Just about everyone in the world knows who Venus and Serena Williams are, but few know the story of how their father, as played by Will Smith, coached them into becoming champions through focus, hard work, and the power of faith and family.

Using Will Smith to drive the campaign is clearly the right move, but how you position his character and the family’s journey is the all-important factor in gaining audience interest, especially with potential controversy around Richard Williams himself.

Since tennis is something of a niche sport, at least compared to things like basketball or baseball, we instead focused on creating emotion around the movie’s big themes of family, faith, and determination. At the same time, we were mindful of presenting the family’s background in Compton in the right way – not as something to “overcome,” but as something to draw power from. 

Emotional moments, brought to life through footage, copy, and motion graphics, were then channeled through Will Smith’s performance to deliver an uplifting message of family and determination rather then a story of tennis or rising from humble roots.