DETROIT -- Move over, Matthew McConaughey.

Lincoln Motor Co. has tapped tennis star Serena Williams to help sell the redesigned Navigator SUV in a social media ad campaign that launches Thursday.

Williams said she has had a connection to the brand since her first vehicle, a white Navigator she named Ginger that she drove to practice.

"When I bought my first car, Ginger, it was my big step-up," she said in a statement released by Lincoln. "I had a real luxury car now, it looked great and I felt safe. When the opportunity came to work with the Lincoln Navigator today, I was really excited because it brought me back to all of those moments I had in my first vehicle. For me, partnering with a brand like Navigator comes from a genuine place."

The social media ads, produced by New York content studio Cycle, features Williams driving and talking about the SUV. She's also expected to post multiple teaser videos on her own social media accounts.

Last fall, Lincoln redesigned its largest vehicle for the first time in a decade. Demand is so great for the Navigator and its sister vehicle, the Ford Expedition, that Ford Motor Co. this week announced a $25 million investment at its Kentucky Truck Plant to help increase 2018 production by 25 percent over its initial plan.

Fans of McConaughey, fear not: The actor, who has appeared in Lincoln commercials since 2014, is continuing his relationship with the brand.