Wimbledon launches campaign that 'goes beyond tennis'

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which runs the Wimbledon tournament, will today (Monday) serve up its 2021 campaign, by McCann London, aimed at further building global engagement and promoting the event, which was cancelled last year.

The AELTC is preparing for the famous two-week Grand Slam tournament, which begins on 28 June, but is still finalising how many spectators will be allowed into the club this year with continued uncertainty about pandemic restrictions.

The integrated campaign, "#WimbledonThing", kicks off with a short film by McCann, which looks at the unique nature of Wimbledon fandom – a love, which it claims “goes beyond tennis”. Paid media is bought through Mindshare.

Alexandra Willis, head of communications, content and digital at AELTC, said: “No matter where they are around the world, Wimbledon fans take the traditions that the tournament is known and loved for, and make them their own.

“To put the campaign in the hands of fans throughout the fortnight, the AELTC will be encouraging anyone and everyone, including the players, to share their #WimbledonThing traditions.”

The video content was directed by duo US from Academy and features a series of scenes in a high-tempo edit, beginning with one of those unmistakable British scenes – barbecuing in the rain, Pimms in hand.

The first film builds to show a US-based fan proudly putting the finishing touches to her Wimbledon Bake Off, while another imagines herself on Centre Court, hitting a record-breaking serve. Another fan watches in the early hours from Tokyo, surrounded by the iconic Wimbledon tennis balls.