AELTC celebrates Wimbledon championship return and 100 years

The animation from McCann highlights the effect of Wimbledon and pays homage to tennis greats

By Creative Salon

06 June 2022

2022 marks a significant milestone in Wimbledon’s history, as the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) celebrates 100 years since the opening of the iconic Centre Court at Church Road.

To highlight this landmark moment and look ahead to the next 100 years, AELTC has today released an inspiring animated TV trailer, ‘The Stage Awaits’, created by McCann London, building anticipation for this year’s Championships.

Featuring three young Wimbledon fans who are inspired by the magnetic wonder of Centre Court, the 60” animation combines the thrill of tennis, the celebration of style and the awe of the club’s grounds – the three elements which encapsulate the unique magic of Wimbledon. As the viewer follows each of the characters on their imaginative journey, we witness Wimbledon through their eyes, feeling the excitement that the iconic event instils in so many of us. The film features tennis greats including, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu.

Wimbledon, as an event, is guided by its Brand Essence ‘In Pursuit of Greatness’, a promise to never rest on its laurels and perpetually better itself in everything that it does, from its beginnings in 1877 to the hi-tech, performance-driven game of today. The animation speaks to this essence, showing how fans, in their own pursuit, can achieve great heights.

Alexandra Willis, AELTC Director of Communications and Marketing, said: “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. 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.”

Rob Webster and Alexei Berwitz, Creative Directors at McCann London, said: “For one of the biggest sporting events in the calendar, Wimbledon has always been about much more than just tennis. 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.”

The film was written and art directed by Rory Peyton Jones and Elliot Lee at McCann London, directed by Smith & Foulkes at Nexus Studios and produced through Craft London, will launch exclusively to Wimbledon’s guest database myWimbledon on 6th of June and will be shown across social and broadcast ahead of and during the Championships, which start on the 27th of June this year.

Smith & Foulkes, Directors, Nexus Studios, said: “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. It was a chance to paint a picture of Wimbledon that isn't all about the tennis, focussing 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.”

The launch of the animation spearheads ‘The Stage Awaits’ campaign, which marks the centenary of Centre Court at Church Road and celebrates its rich history, and looks ahead to the future, promising that the next 100 years of the Wimbledon Championships will be just as good.

Campaign credits:

CLIENT: THE ALL ENGLAND LAWN TENNIS CLUB:

Director of Communications and Marketing: Alexandra Willis

Marketing and Brand Lead: Harry Kerr

Commercial and Marketing Executive: India Crawley

Creative Lead: Alessandro Perottoni

AGENCY: MCCANN LONDON

Chief Creative Officers, McCann UK and Co-Presidents, McCann London: Rob Doubal and Laurence Thomson

Creative Directors: Rob Webster and Alexei Berwitz

Creatives: Rory Peyton Jones and Elliot Lee

Managing Partner: Tommy Smith

Project Director: Steph Dix