Vodafone, Wimbledon’s Official Connectivity Partner, launched a multi-channel, tournament-themed, #FeelTheConnection summer campaign in early June which featured all of the telco’s UK tennis ambassadors: Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid, Emma Raducanu, Jack Draper and Jodie Burrage.
The marketing burst showcases the power of connection and focuses on how connection can fuel sporting champions.
Created in harness with agency Ogilvy London, the integrated campaign runs across TV and OOH from 10 June and on social from 26 June – leveraging its athlete endorser stable and its AELTC tie-up ahead of Wimbledon 2023 (which runs from 3 to 16 July).
The creative explores the emotional connection tennis stars have with their family, friends and supporters and highlights the crucial role digital connection plays while travelling the world on their journey to becoming champions.
Through this concept, the work seeks to bring to life the power of Vodafone’s reliable network and to demonstrate how friends and family can provide support wherever they are in the world.
The campaign launched with a pair of 30-second TV ads, which are merged into one 60-second online video, which tell the stories of two Wimbledon wheelchair champions – Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid – through the eyes of their parents and celebrating their journeys of triumph over adversity. The spots celebrate the successes of both players and bring to life their journeys of triumph over adversity, using a combination of real footage from the players’ childhoods alongside scenes shot at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, and emotive words from their mums.
The combined ‘Feel the Connection; Wimbledon The Championships 2023’ dropped on 5 June on the brand’s own channels, followed four days later by the individual Hewett and Reid commercials (who boast nine Wimbledon titles between them).
The films were helmed by Director Mat Whitecross and created by Vodafone.
A supporting social media campaign will run across Meta, Twitter, TikTok through late June and July and it will begin with a message of support from the injured Emma Raducanu (who isn’t competing at Wimbledon this year) to the telco’s other tennis ambassadors and which will encourage the country to get behind the players.
Indeed, the public will be invited and incentivised to share their own personal messages of support in return for a chance to win tickets to next year’s Championships. These messages of support will be shared with the ambassadors throughout the tournament and their reactions record and then amplified.
“At Vodafone we understand how the power of connection can improve lives, and our partnership with Wimbledon has given us the opportunity to tell a meaningful story that brings this to life,” commented Vodafone UK Head Of Brand Maria Koutsoudakis. “For two incredible champions who wake up every day in the pursuit of excellence, the ability to always be able to connect with their families was a story worth telling. To be able to connect their story with the wider British public is an honour and we hope we can use the power of connection to fuel them, and our other ambassadors to success at Wimbledon.”
“Vodafone and Ogilvy UK couldn’t be prouder of the #FeeltheConnection campaign. Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are two of Britain’s best tennis players and you can’t help but be humbled by what they have achieved both on and off the court,” added Justin Cox, MD at Team Vodafone, Ogilvy UK. “Celebrating them, their connection to family and the sport they love, is a dream for any brand and agency.”
In the campaign PR statement Alfie Hewett said: “I am incredibly proud to be part of Vodafone’s summer campaign and to be able to help to shine a light on disability tennis in the UK. I hope it is inspiring for young people in the UK to see wheelchair tennis players on the TV this summer.”
While Gordon Reid commented: “It is brilliant to be working alongside Vodafone on its Wimbledon campaign. The advert will not only highlight how important connection to friends and family is for athletes but help to encourage greater levels of participation and grow the sport.”
The lead agency was Ogilvy UK where the team included Chief Creative Officer Andre Laurentino, Executive Creative Director Nick Wittenberg, Creatives Dave Anderson and Ian Brassett, Social Creatives Britney Beeby and Harriet Stockwell, WPP Client Leader Justin Cox, Managing Partner Gianna Palyvou, Account Director Madeline McCarthy, Social Business Director Gugs Sarna, Head of Strategy Matthew Waksman, Strategy Partner Gareth Ellis, Junior Planner Julia Manstead, Programme Director Paul Owen, Head of Moving Image James Brook Partridge, Agency Producer Jeremy Dunn and Assistant Producer Eva McAlpine.
The production company was My Accomplice with Director Mat Whitecross, DOP Ailsa Aikoa, Executive Producer Jamie Clark and Producer Scarlett Barclay. Further offline editing and post production was run through Jack Williams and Phoebe Armstrong of Assembly Rooms and a team at Gramercy Park Studios which included Online Post Producer Robson Yeo, Colourist Ben Rogers, Sound Designer Zak Kurtha, Flame Artist Esther Berglund and Designer Phan Tu.
The campaign music track is ‘Rise Up’ by Andra Day and music licensing was handled by Soundtree.
Comment
Launched during the 2023 French Open at Roland Garros, this campaign followed on from Vodafone UK’s Raducanu fronted ‘5G Hologram Coach’ campaign in April 2023.
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