We turned a superstar into a personal mentor by hacking Instagram’s ‘Close Friends’ feature.
THE PROBLEM
“By age 14, girls are dropping out of sports at twice the rate of boys. Many of these young athletes drop out due to a lack of positive role models.”
— Women’s Sports Foundation
THE OPPORTUNITY
Lincoln’s brand ambassador Serena Williams is a great positive role model for young female athletes. But she’s also one of America’s busiest women…
THE IDEA
We turned Serena from super star athlete into a personal mentor by hacking Instagram’s ‘Close Friends’ feature, creating a closed, private group for young female athletes.
THE RESULT
Young women around the world gained a mentor and Serena turned the time she spends being driven around into something more meaningful.
How people reacted…
“This is so cool. My parents didn’t support me and made me quit when I was about to go pro. I wish I have had someone to back me up.”
— @noor_ch75
“By the age of 14 I was a mom. I tried my best to stay in school and ended up dropping out. Mentorship is so important. Shout out to my mentor @nytotheend who I meet when I was 16 years old. She gave me tools that I use to this day. One of the main tools was belief. She believed in me and for that I am FOREVER GRATEFUL ❤️ @serenawilliams thanks for giving back. Because of my mentor, I did complete college and now I'm on a mission to break the poverty cycle in my family”
— @795andcompany
“This is so cool. My parents didn’t support me and made me quit when I was about to go pro. I wish I have had someone to back me up.”
— @noor_ch75
“Love that idea..omg...you going to give of yourself more when the next person might just want quiet time in the car...lol...this is what makes you so awesome...#gottaloveolympia'smom💗💗”
— @shedreamedit_shedidit77
“This is so true! I stopped playing basketball 🏀 at 13ish. I had practiced all summer & improved a lot. The mean girls weren’t happy w/me & put me in my place. I stupidly backed off & played less & less until I quit. I had many other negative factors in my life at that time as well. Regarding the mean girls, I learned much later that they didn’t matter one bit and to never let anyone dull my shine. Just focus on your game - if you love the game, never stop playing ❤️”
— @wahnsunnig
“Single father of two girls. I want my girl’s future to bright with much support. Thank you for being a great role model and inspiration!!!”
— @jasperve
Credits.
AGENCY //
Hudson Rouge
Role – Associate Creative Director
PRODUCTION //
Dress Code
Director – Dan Covert