LOS ANGELES — The 2024 Super Bowl was a spectacle of high-stakes football, blockbuster movie trailers, and, as is tradition, a barrage of multi-million dollar commercials. Yet, one particular advertisement featuring tennis legend Serena Williams has ignited a firestorm of controversy, drawing intense criticism from viewers, patient advocacy groups, and medical professionals who have labeled the spot "absolutely disgusting" and "dangerous."
The ad in question was for the GLP-1 receptor agonist drug Wegovy, manufactured by Novo Nordisk. In the 60-second spot titled "It's Big," Williams is shown in a stylized, high-energy gym setting, delivering a motivational speech about the importance of "going big" in pursuit of one's goals. The commercial culminates with the reveal that it is promoting Wegovy for chronic weight management, with the tagline, "It's big to take care of yourself." While the ad never explicitly shows the drug or mentions obesity, its association of a powerful prescription medication with aspirational, sports-star imagery has been the core of the backlash.
The Core of the Controversy
Critics argue that the advertisement dangerously oversimplifies and glamorizes the use of a potent pharmaceutical intervention. Wegovy (semaglutide) is a weekly injectable medication approved for adults with obesity or who are overweight with at least one weight-related condition. It works by mimicking a hormone that targets areas of the brain involved in appetite regulation. Its side effects can be significant, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and more serious potential risks like pancreatitis and gallbladder problems.
The primary accusations leveled against the ad are multifaceted. Firstly, it is seen as contributing to the normalization of using prescription drugs for body image goals rather than strictly medical necessity, potentially driving demand from people seeking quick fixes. Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani, an eating disorder specialist, told The Guardian, "To have a celebrity like Serena Williams, who is the picture of athleticism and health, promoting a weight-loss drug is absolutely disgusting. It sends a message that even the healthiest among us should be pursuing thinness."
A Clash of Perspectives: Empowerment vs. Exploitation
Novo Nordisk and supporters of the campaign frame it as a destigmatizing effort. They argue that obesity is a serious, chronic disease requiring medical treatment, and that featuring a globally respected athlete like Williams helps combat shame and encourages people to seek help. A company spokesperson stated, "Serena Williams is an inspiration to millions, and her participation underscores that managing weight is about improving health, not just appearance."
However, this perspective clashes violently with that of eating disorder advocates and ethical watchdogs. They contend that using a celebrity of Williams' stature—whose body is synonymous with powerful athletic achievement—to market a weight-loss drug is inherently contradictory and exploitative. It leverages her image of disciplined, hard-earned fitness to sell a pharmaceutical shortcut, blurring the lines between health, performance, and aesthetics.
The ad's critics point to several specific, problematic implications:
- Trivializing a Medical Treatment: The high-energy, motivational-speaker format is accused of downplaying the drug's medical nature, required physician oversight, and potential risks.
- Exacerbating Body Image Issues: In a culture saturated with diet messaging, the ad is seen as reinforcing the idea that thinner is inherently healthier or better.
- Targeting a Vulnerable Audience: The Super Bowl's massive viewership includes countless individuals susceptible to body dissatisfaction.
The Broader Context: The GLP-1 Gold Rush
This controversy does not exist in a vacuum. It erupts amid a frenzied "gold rush" for GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and its sister product Ozempic (approved for type 2 diabetes but widely used off-label for weight loss). The class has become a cultural and economic phenomenon, driving Novo Nordisk's market value to historic highs and creating widespread shortages that have critically impacted diabetic patients for whom these drugs are a lifeline.
The advertising blitz, of which the Williams spot is the most prominent example, is viewed by many as a direct attempt to capitalize on this frenzy and expand the patient base. This commercial push raises significant ethical questions about direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising, which is legal only in the United States and New Zealand. Critics argue that DTC ads like this one:
- Create patient demand that pressures healthcare providers for prescriptions.
- Often emphasize benefits while minimizing risks in mandatory, rapid-fire disclaimers.
- Medicalize normal human body diversity for corporate profit.
Holly Wyatt, M.D., a professor of medicine and nutrition expert, expressed concern to medical news outlet STAT: "This ad isn't educating. It's creating an emotional association between a superstar and a drug. When you have someone like Serena Williams, who achieved her physique through arguably the most intense training on the planet, endorsing a medication, it fundamentally distorts the reality of what this drug is and does."
Serena Williams' Role and the Question of Responsibility
The backlash has inevitably spilled over onto Serena Williams herself. While she has not publicly commented on the specific criticisms of the ad, her participation has divided her fanbase. Some defend her right to engage in a legal commercial endorsement for a product addressing a legitimate health issue. Others feel profound disappointment, arguing that a figure who has long been a role model for strength and breaking barriers in sports has lent her credibility to an industry that often perpetuates harmful beauty standards.
This incident highlights the complex ethical calculus for celebrities in the health and wellness space. The line between promoting health awareness and endorsing a specific pharmaceutical product is perilously thin. Patient advocate group, the Coalition for Healthcare Communication, released a statement saying, "Using an athlete to bypass serious medical discourse and connect directly with consumer emotion represents a new low in DTC advertising. It prioritizes branding over patient safety and informed consent."
Conclusion: A Commercial with Lasting Repercussions
The fallout from Serena Williams' Wegovy commercial is likely to extend far beyond the post-Super Bowl news cycle. It has sparked a necessary and heated conversation about the ethics of pharmaceutical marketing, the societal obsession with weight loss, and the responsibilities of influential celebrities. The ad may have succeeded in making Wegovy a household name, but it has also drawn intense scrutiny to the practices of the drug industry at a moment of peak visibility and demand.
Regulatory bodies like the FDA's Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) may face increased pressure to scrutinize such lifestyle-oriented campaigns. Furthermore, the controversy serves as a stark reminder that in the era of celebrity influence and direct-to-consumer ads, the messaging around health and medication is often crafted not by doctors, but by marketing departments aiming to "go big"—regardless of the potential cost to public understanding and health.