Meeting Venus

The Sydney Sweeney Novig ad arrived with a very simple message: just sports. But, as anyone who has spent five minutes on the internet knows, “simple” and “quiet” are not always the same thing. The new campaign from sports prediction company Novig puts Sydney Sweeney at the center of a deliberately cheeky sports fantasy, using footballs, basketballs, hockey equipment and other sporting imagery to make its point. Within days, however, the commercial had become something considerably larger than a promotional spot. It had become a conversation about women, sports, celebrity culture, advertising and the kind of attention a brand is willing to chase. And there is an important detail that changes the way we should look at the whole campaign: Sweeney is not simply the actress hired to read the lines and smile for the camera. Novig identifies her as a strategic partner and equity holder . In other words, her connection to the company goes beyond a conventional celebrity endorsement. That...