Tennis star Serena Williams has recorded a version of "I Touch Myself," the 1990 hit song by Australian band Divinyls, ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
A nine-second video of Williams singing the first line of the song — "I love myself, I want you to love me" — was released Sunday by campaigning organization the I Touch Myself Project, in partnership with bra-maker Berlei, among others. A longer version of the ad will appear online on September 30. The campaign will run throughout Australia and will include print, online and billboard advertising.
The I Touch Myself Project was launched in 2014 after Divinyls lead singer Chrissy Amphlett died from breast cancer. She had expressed the wish that the song would become a reminder to women to check their breasts and the current campaign will also see a snakeskin print bra sold by Berlei in her memory, with profits going to the Breast Cancer Network Australia.
Williams has been a brand ambassador for Berlei since 2006 when she wore one of the company's bras during the Australian Open. She has appeared in ad campaigns for the company talking about her pregnancy and encouraging people to believe in themselves.
She is also featured in Nike's Dream Crazy ad, the two-minute commercial narrated by football star Colin Kaepernick that saw online sales surge after it was released earlier this month, and has launched a fashion collection with the sportswear company.
Her endorsements have helped make her the highest-paid female athlete in the world, earning $18 million in 2017, according to Forbes.