Lexus taps into Tennis to reach wider UK audiences

The 'Rise To It' campaign, created by T&Pm, spotlights the brand's partnerships with Sky Sports Tennis, LTA and ATP tour

By Creative Salon

13 May 2024

Lexus and T&Pm's campaign 'Rise To It' highlights the car brand's new tennis partnerships with Sky Sports Tennis, LTA and ATP tour with the aim of appealing to fans of the sport across the UK.

A love letter to tennis. That's what sports partnerships really are, according to Lexus. Just a brand, standing in front of a sport and its fans saying, ‘I love you’. The company's exciting new tennis partnerships with Sky Sports Tennis, LTA and ATP tour - honour the game and honour the fans. With a new wave of talented players redefining tennis and its perceptions through hard work and pure passion, Lexus shares many of the same principles for what it takes to get to the top of your game. In order to succeed, you must... 'Rise To It'.

This new campaign highlights the parallels of Lexus innovation and pro tennis - to improve we must move forwards, as well as upwards. Around the world, tennis players come from diverse beginnings, learning to master every season on all kinds of courts, to rise through the ranks. Just as Lexus are constantly innovating to ensure its drive is the best it can be.

It is this thinking that gave birth to the 'Rise To It' launch film. Created for Lexus UK, by T&Pm, directed by Lovesong’s award winning tour de force, Elliot Power, partnering with Oscar nominated cinematographer, Lucazs Zal, to frame the action. Getting ATP points takes grit, focus, talent and determination - as well as a lot of support. As the player serves the match point he looks back on where it started. From the first hint of talent as a baby with a sure grip, rising to a child with a love for the sport, rising to a teenager playing in all seasons on every court, rising to an adult alone on an ATP court serving to win. Through the rises viewers see his mother, Lexus, the coaches and eventually the fans that transport him to where he is now. It's all to play for. It's time to 'Rise To It'.

Lexus brand strategy lead, Mat Thomas, said: "To continue accelerating our annual volume growth we recognise the importance of building brand salience, and tennis sponsorship gives us a huge opportunity to reach large audiences in the UK. To amplify our partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association and Sky’s new Tennis channel, our goal was to develop distinctive, right-brained, emotional creative that didn’t succumb to the more traditional elements of automotive advertising. The route performed brilliantly in pre-testing and we’re delighted with the end result, which I think demonstrates the brands passion for the sport and commitment to the respective partnerships."

T&Pm group creative director, Frances Draskau, added: What impresses me most about tennis is the mental resilience required for the gladiatorial finals. As the colosseum of the stands surround the players, to rise to the top they must stand alone, distilling every skill they’ve ever learned into sporting excellence. Maintaining singular focus to rise to greatness is part of Lexus’ brand values and is stitched into every car with the ‘L’ logo on it.

"We’ve intentionally balanced the player, the parent, the coach and the crowd in our Rise To It launch film, heroing each role that makes the sport what it is, and featured every court surface players must master at ATP level, the way Lexus cars must also excel on every driving surface.

"Partnering with Lovesong director, Elliott Power, his soulful storytelling beautifully lifts us through the gritty rise of a tennis player’s ascension to ATP level. We’re thrilled to launch Lexus’ tennis sponsorships with Rise To It and will be striving to make tennis a more inclusive space with the ongoing LTA partnership reaching the next generation of players and fans."

The partnership with Sky sports spans the next two years, with full 60-second spot plans to run in cinema in the future, as well as online; 30” looks to be running on TV and VOD over the summer, with bespoke 15” and 5” idents created especially for Sky Sports Tennis channel sandwiching the action with seamless, rising shot storytelling - live from 11 May.

The 'Rise To It' campaign will be the flagship platform for Lexus UK’s tennis ventures and progress with further activity planned over the next two years.