The start of March saw Vodafone team up with US Open champion Emma Raducanu in an endorser deal which sees the 19-year-old British tennis star become its grassroots tennis ambassador following the brand’s recent, multi-year deal tennis partnership with The Lawn Tennis Association (The LTA), Wimbledon and the All England Club (AELTC) as Official Connectivity Partner of The Championships.
The teen tennis sensation will work with the telco giant to inspire and rally the next generation of players and to help nurture grassroots tennis in the UK and front its activations and tennis initiatives
Vodafone will also use its connectivity to enable Raducanu keep in touch with her friends and family on the WTA Tour via its superfast 5G network and its AR, VR and haptic technology.
Following the ambassador announcement campaign, the first initiative fronted by Raducanu is Vodafone’s ‘Play Your Way To Wimbledon’ competition.
‘Play Your Way To Wimbledon’, formerly known as the ‘Road to Wimbledon’, is an initiative jointly delivered by the Lawn Tennis Association (The LTA), the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (The AELTC) and Vodafone.
It sees thousands of players – aged 14 and under, as well as 18 and under – participate in local and then regional finals (in June and July) with winners progressing to the national finals which are played on Wimbledon’s Aorangi Courts (in August) with a chance to immerse themselves in the true Wimbledon experience competing in whites and touring the historic Grounds and Museum.
From 2023, the LTA and the AELTC will expand the competition further to make it more inclusive by adding more age groups and disability categories with the support of Vodafone.
To celebrate this announcement, Vodafone has created a 360-degree digital sculpture of Raducanu alongside grassroots player Katie Randall, alongside a short film called ‘Emma Raducanu – Play Your Way To Wimbledon’ featuring the two playing a match, plus a behind-the-scenes social video was posted across the brand’s and player’s platforms from 7 March.
We’re on Team @EmmaRaducanu
Thrilled to be working alongside Emma as our ambassador for 'Play Your Way to @Wimbledon'
Through this tournament , we’ll work with @the_LTA to help inspire future tennis stars ⭐#FeelTheConnection pic.twitter.com/UN6EOcVmrM
— Vodafone UK (@VodafoneUK) March 7, 2022
The content urges viewers to find out more about’ Play Your Way To Wimbledon, Powered By Vodafone’ – including how to sign up to compete at your local club, park or school – by visiting the dedicated website.
To promote Vodafone’s cutting-edge tech commitment, the brand used ‘time-slice rigs with 120 cameras’ to make the digital sculpture of Raducanu.
Vodafone Consumer Director Max Taylor commented: “Emma has captivated the nation over the past 18 months, delivering one of the most iconic British sporting moments in recent memory and inspiring a huge number of new players to pick up a racket for the first time. As the face of modern British tennis and a graduate of the LTA’s grassroots programme – which we are proud to now be supporting – Emma is the perfect person to champion the relaunch and expansion of Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone, and our ambition to democratise the sport and connect a new generation of fans and players.”
The All England Club Commercial Director Gus Henderson added: “We are delighted to work with the LTA and Vodafone to build on the strong heritage of the Road to Wimbledon, relaunching and expanding it to become the UK’s biggest individual mass participation competition. We hope that Play Your Way to Wimbledon helps to encourage more children to try tennis and develop a love of the game, with the chance to play on the grass courts at Wimbledon as a compelling inspiration factor.”
LTA Participation Director Oliver Scadgell said: “By working with Vodafone and the All England Club on this competition, we’re continuing our vision to open up tennis and grow the sport at a grassroots level. The introduction of broader age groups and disability categories from 2023 is key to this objective and it’s hugely beneficial to have Emma’s support in encouraging participation.”
“I’m so excited to be working with Vodafone to inspire the next generation of tennis players in the UK,” commented Emma Raducanu commented on her new brand ambassador role. “The support I received at a grassroots level has been key to my development as a player, and I’m looking forward to helping make these initiatives even bigger, better and more accessible.”
Comment
There are already positive signs for Vodafone and the LTA in terms if UK grassroots tennis as, within three months of Raducanu’s Grand Slam win in the USA more adults have picked up a racquet regularly than during the same period in any of the past five years.
Vodafone aims to work with the young star, alongside The AELTC and the LTA to build on what has become known as the ‘Raducanu Effect’ to encourage and support yet more children and adults playing and enjoying tennis.
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