Ad of the Day: Wimbledon returns with animated spot celebrating centenary
With Wimbledon only a matter of weeks away, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has released an animated spot to celebrate 100 years since the opening of the Centre Court at Church Road.
‘The Stage Awaits’ by McCann London follows three tennis fans as they take in the excitement of the tournament from the club’s grounds. It is an upbeat, colourful 60-second spot, which also features tennis greats Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu.
“After two years of disruption, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome fans from all over the world back to Wimbledon. What makes this year even more special is the fact that we’re marking the centenary of Centre Court at Church Road,” said Alexandra Willis, director of communications and marketing at AELTC.
“This impressive milestone speaks to the legacy of The Championships, and this year’s campaign trailer ‘The Stage Awaits’ further demonstrates how the event is a pillar of inspiration for our fans worldwide. We can’t wait to see what the next 100 years has in store for Wimbledon – the next century starts now.”
The film was written and art directed by Rory Peyton Jones and Elliot Lee at McCann London, directed by Smith and Foulkes at Nexus Studios and produced through Craft London.
“For one of the biggest sporting events in the calendar, Wimbledon has always been about much more than just tennis,” added Rob Webster and Alexei Berwitz, creative directors at McCann London.
“This film is packed fuller than a strawberry punnet with all the things that make Wimbledon so special, from history and architecture to spectacular floral and fashion displays and of course Serena’s epic forehands.”
Coverage will come from social media and TV ahead of and during the Championships.
“This was the sort of creative brief that you dream of, taking a cherished national institution and completely re-imagining it as a vivid dream. We looked at the iconic images of Wimbledon through a lens of surreal invention, packing every scene with unexpected twists, using a textural illustrative look and seamless transitions to create a fluid stream of consciousness,” noted Smith and Foulkes, directors, Nexus Studios.
“It was a chance to paint a picture of Wimbledon that isn’t all about the tennis, focusing as much on the iconic architecture and sense of social occasion, although there’s obviously a fair sprinkling of the tennis greats along the way.”
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