When it comes to pitching alcohol brands in this year's Super Bowl, tennis legend Serena Williams is playing doubles. Not only is she in Michelob Ultra's ad, but high-end French cognac brand Rémy Martin today confirmed Williams will star in its first-ever Super Bowl ad.

Rémy Martin's 60-second spot, called “Inch by Inch,” comes from the agency Fred & Farid New York and likens the tennis star's commitment to excellence to the tradition of Rémy Cointreau, a family-owned spirits company established in 1724. It is scheduled to run during the second commercial break of the first quarter.

The brand teased the spot today with two videos. One shows Williams seated at a bar and looking determinedly at the camera as a drink arrives.

Another shows Williams walking in profile through a long tunnel, then suddenly into the light.

“Rémy Martin has been a champion of the concept of teaming up for excellence over many years,” Nicolas Beckers, CEO of Rémy Cointreau Americas, said in an interview. “And the idea is to instill the notion into all aspects of the brand. We are aiming to create a lasting effect, and we would like to inspire people to team up for excellence in all aspects of their lives.”

For these reasons, Williams made an ideal figure for the brand, Beckers said.

“Serena Williams is a female leader in the sport world but not only that, she’s an icon, she’s very inspirational, [and] she has been transcending the sport category,” Beckers said. “And we believe that she also has been able to own this greatness partly because she was supported by her family. She has been famously coached by her father alongside her sister Venus, and this tradition of passing knowledge generation to generation and commitment to excellence she had in her career is really is really a good fit for our brand.”

Williams’ charisma has also made her appealing to Michelob Ultra, which she has regularly endorsed. This year, she is among a cast of athletes and actors in the Anheuser-Busch InBev’s brand's “Caddyshack”-themed Super Bowl ad that was released earlier this week.

Beckers did not specifically respond to a question about the brand’s comfort with a star in a quasi-competitor’s ad but noted Williams was the spot's “singular star.” Michelob Ultra representatives were not immediately available for comment.

See the Super Bowl 2023 teasers released so far

“I am honored and excited to be able to work with Rémy Martin, whose core values are so similar to my own personal principles,” Williams said in a Rémy Martin press release. “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.”

Cognac may not yet be a Super Bowl party staple but Rémy Martin has been riding high lately, driven by the premiumization trend, and the pandemic, as people treated themselves while at home, Beckers said. Patterns have normalized as the pandemic effects faded, but sales of the Rémy Martin brand are still up by double digits since pre-COVID, he added.

“Our focus to continue recruiting, engaging, educating a new consumer and also to encourage them to discover new consumption occasions,” Beckers said.

The Super Bowl commercial is part of a major media push for the brand, with plans to air ads on ESPN, ABC, CTV, Roku, Hulu, and HBO Max. Out-of-home ads are also part of the media buy, including digital in-store signage in a deal with Cooler Screens, which manages interactive digital ads on cooler doors and other locations in grocery, drug and convenience stores.

Rémy Martin is among several alcohol brands running ads in the game now that AB InBev surrendered exclusivity in the category after more than 30 years. Diageo’s Crown Royal and Molson Coors’ Coors Light and Miller Lite brands are also participating, as is Heineken, though for its alcohol-free 0.0 beer.

Rémy Cointreau last year aired a regional 30-second Super Bowl ad across 17 markets for its gin brand, The Botanist; and in 2021, the company bought ads in 15 markets for its French liqueur Cointreau.