Verizon Media Pacts With Advisory Chair Serena Williams On Branded ‘Yahoo Shopping’ Series

Verizon Media, the telecom giant’s entertainment division, has tapped legendary tennis champ Serena Williams for a new branded short-form series — which notably touts a shoppable component.

Titled Everybody, Every Body, the show will tout a message of body positivity and inclusion, and will be distributed on Verizon-owned Yahoo Shopping, a new ecommerce platform that curates, discovers, and also price-tracks items for consumers. The series will also serve to promote the Autumn/Winter 2020 collection of Williams’ fashion line, Serena, which she established last year. (Prior to Serena, Williams created a clothing line in partnership with HSN). Additional episodes of the series will roll out through Feb. 2020. The first episode sees Williams showcasing her favorite pieces of from the latest collection, with interactive features that enable seamless purchases, Verizon says.

The series will be complemented by an ad campaign on Yahoo Shopping, where consumers will be offered discount codes.

“While we

all have different bodies, personalities, and backgrounds, we can all feel confident, bold, and fierce when wearing clothing that we love and feel great in,” Williams said in a statement. “Our first Everybody, Every Body video helped grow and empower our strong community, and as we continue this series in partnership with Verizon Media, we hope to reach and inspire even more people by championing their greatness and encouraging them to be seen and be heard.”

Williams is already in business with Verizon Media, having been named chairwoman of its global advisory board in 2017. In that capacity, she helps drive impactful ideas for the company, per Verizon, and continues to build on its commerce strategy. The company’s media division — which comprises Yahoo, Tumblr, AOL, HuffPost, TechCrunch, Engadget, and more — underwent layoffs of roughly 800 staffers in January.

You can check out the first episode of Everybody, Every Body right here.