Wimbledon serves up new ad blitz

It is the last week of June, the strawberries are ripening, even the sun is out, and when those planets are aligned it can mean only one thing; it is getting lively down on the grass down in London SW19.
And, never one to miss out on the opportunity to market itself, The All England Lawn Tennis Club is launching a new campaign, created by Space, to welcome visitors to this year’s Wimbledon Championships.
Space has developed ‘Wimbledon Awaits’ to build excitement and anticipation by showing how the Championships have created headlines through history and continue to do so.
The work uses inspirational imagery from the Wimbledon archives with the theme of ‘Wimbledon Awaits – Creating Headlines Since 1877’, tracking the iconic moments that made history right up to the 2014 tournament and looking forward to new headlines in 2015.
A range of media placements will include traditional outdoor media sites, free standing displays, structural walkways and gateway arches. Working in partnership with the All England Club an online campaign uses Facebook, Twitter and Instagram among others.
Pinpointing 12 key events in the Championships history from the creation of the Wimbledon colours of green and purple in 1909, through legends such as Bunny Austin, Billie Jean King, Bjorn Borg and Arthur Ashe, through to Andy Murray’s triumph in 2013, tennis lovers can see how Wimbledon has changed with the times, retaining tradition, but leading the world in technological and sporting advances.
The images are combined with variations on the ‘Wimbledon Awaits’ theme, such as ‘Fashion Awaits’ for the first appearance of shorts on Centre Court, ‘Play Awaits’ showing the first use of Centre Court’s retractable roof, and ‘The World Awaits’ when, in 1937, Wimbledon was first shown on TV. Ultimately, Wimbledon audiences will be shown how the emotion and anticipation of The Championships has always been a powerful and compelling force behind the event and will continue to be with their participation in 2015.
James Ralley, head of marketing and commercial at the the All England Lawn Tennis Club, said: “Wimbledon Awaits sums up everything we want to say in the lead up to the Championships, creating anticipation, desire and talkability. In 2015, the idea has built exponentially to show the ongoing tradition and reputation of the Championships for creating headlines that capture the imagination of the world.”