Serena Williams' achievements in tennis get prominent play in a new commercial from—what else?—the Brawny paper-towels brand. The clip, titled "Breaking Barriers," arrives as a piece celebrating Women's History Month and an array of spectacular ladies of the past, present and undisclosed future.

In the advert, the company also salutes historical icons such as Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Susan B. Anthony and Marie Curie. (If you don't know all of them, consider this an open invitation to hop on the Google.)

Serena finds herself hailed in the piece as the keeper of the "most major singles titles by any tennis player." Somewhere Margaret Court lifts an eyebrow, but Brawny's shorthand for Serena's crowning achievement remains well deserved.

"Strength has no gender," the ad intones, as it does in a few separate pieces that draw attention to some non-famous women. Brawny, as a household-goods brand, does well to seek to make these women similarly heralded, household names:

Advertising

StrengthHasNoGender, indeed. All this goes to show that the writer C.S. Lewis had it right a few decades ago: "There are no ordinary people."

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