Zendaya reportedly spent three months training for romantic drama Challengers, learning how to mimic tennis prodigies like Serena Williams and Coco Gauff.
But does that mean she’s ready to take on 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer? In the world of advertising, it does—plus this is air tennis, which isn’t really a thing, but now maybe it is.
Zendaya and Federer meet up for a make-believe match to hype a real-life brand, giving viewers more than 60 seconds of subtly silly, high-energy action for Swiss sneaker company On.
The cheeky video, developed by the brand’s prolific in-house creative team, drops during Wimbledon, where Federer has been giving James Bond vibes as a sharp-dressed Centre Court spectator. (The finals are this weekend.)
The long-form ad features several Easter eggs for Challengers fans: The unshakeable umpire from the movie, played by actor Darnell Appling, makes an appearance, as does Zendaya’s game face and stylish gear.
The commercial, shot outside the brand’s headquarters in Zurich, brings together two of On’s most famous collaborators. As an early investor and partner, Federer—subject of a new Prime Video documentary called Federer: Twelve Final Days—has been a longtime brand ambassador. And actor-fashionista Zendaya recently signed a multiyear deal spanning product development, global promotion and creative campaigns.
As a setup for the new ad, the celebrities run into each other while checking out the merchandise at an On store. Zendaya, channeling her uber-competitive character from the Luca Guadagnino-directed flick, gets right to business by slipping Federer a note: “Me and you, air tennis, 3 p.m.”
Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon winner who recently retired from professional tennis, takes the bait. The on-court faceoff that follows—with realistic sound effects piped in for extra entertainment value—ends on a cliffhanger (more shades of Challengers) while flashing the “Dream On” tagline.
