Wimbledon kicks off 2023 Championships with 'Always Like Never Before' trailer

The All England Lawn Tennis Club and McCann London have released their annual campaign in anticipation of this year’s Championships. Spearheading the media output is this year’s inspiring trailer, Always Like Never Before, which launches today, featuring a historic series of incredible ‘like never before’ moments at SW19.

In an exciting and contemporary move for Wimbledon, McCann London has collaborated with award-winning hip-hop and electronic producer, composer and DJ, Hudson Mohawke. He has created an electrifying soundtrack, featuring vocals by GiGi Grombacher, to set the tone for the track and broader through-the-line campaign. The full length audio track will be made available on all digital streaming platforms, such as Spotify & Apple Music, on Wednesday 28 June at 7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm GMT. The release of this track across streaming services is another first from Wimbledon, embodying the wider campaign of ‘like never before’.

The rousing and meticulously crafted trailer uses a mixture of archive footage, 2D illustration, 3D animation, CGI and photography to revisit historic Wimbledon moments as timeless, epic posters. Each one heroes and immortalises iconic match-ups from the likes of Serena and Venus Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, juxtaposing them with contemporary history-makers and rising stars like Coco Gauff, Nick Kyrgios, Ons Jabeur and Alfie Hewett.

The trailer, directed by visionary filmmaker Ernest Desumbila at Iconoclast/Sauvage, recognises the historic and career-defining moments that have taken place on the world’s most prestigious tennis stage, Wimbledon. Established tennis heroes take a bow, and the viewer is invited to engage with a new generation of tennis talent who are ready to break the mould and re-write the record books.

Usama Al-Qassab, Marketing & Commercial Director for Wimbledon, commented: “You just need to watch one episode of Netflix’s Break Point to understand that we’re at a pivotal moment in tennis. We’re blessed with a raft of new players coming through the ranks, full of passion and hunger, and ready to make their mark on the tour. It’s an exciting, once in a sporting generation time, and we had to reflect this mood in our new trailer. After all, a day at Wimbledon is always like never before.

“Produced with our creative partners at McCann London, the trailer skilfully weaves together archive action with various creative techniques to produce a series of stunning filmic posters.”

Known for his influential and award-winning work in hip-hop and electronic music, Hudson Mohawke’s galvanising bespoke soundtrack provides the backdrop of the campaign. With production credentials for chart-topping releases including Drake’s Connect, and more recently going viral on TikTok with his song ‘Cbat’, Hudson Mohawke’s track Pushing On (Always Like Never Before) produces a fresh sonic energy for Wimbledon that signals a new chapter for The Championships. The track encapsulates the spirit which this year’s campaign is bringing to Wimbledon – with Hudson Mohawke partnering with McCann London in opening the door to a fresh new audience through teaser social posts building up to The Championships.

Hudson Mohawke, producer of the campaign soundtrack, commented: “I’ve been watching Wimbledon on TV since I was a young boy, so to be a part of this year’s trailer feels surreal. We’re seeing a new wave of legends define history in the tennis world, and I wanted to make a soundtrack that reflected this juncture and the tantalising mood that comes with it – it’s something that’s hard to put your finger on but you can just feel it in your chest. I’ve used terms such as ‘fearless’, ‘strong’, ‘stand my ground’ and ‘holding on’ in the vocals, to echo the nature of competitive sport and just how hungry this next generation of stars is for success.”

Matt Searle and Olly Wood, Creative Directors at McCann London commented: “Fans know they can always rely on Wimbledon to deliver: from immaculate grass to awe-inspiring tennis, nothing stands still. Greats of the game will bid farewell, but there is always new talent rising to seize the mantle. The mix of tradition and innovation is at the heart of our ‘Always Like Never Before’ campaign, which recognises the sport’s trailblazers, great rivals, mavericks and spirited legends who inspire us all and have created so many unforgettable moments at Wimbledon.”

Speaking about the Trailer, former World No. 1 men's singles wheelchair tennis player, Alfie Hewett commented: “Tennis has given me so many opportunities throughout my life and I’ll always be grateful for that. Every match I play – whether it’s at Wimbledon or on tour around the world - is a chance to inspire a new generation of young people to pick up a racket and enjoy the sport. ’Always Like Never Before’ is a great concept for this year’s trailer. There’s so much history and heritage at Wimbledon, but each year there’s a new story to be written and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Cameron Norrie, British No. 1, added: “As my home court, playing at Wimbledon has always been special. It comes to life in this year’s Trailer, but suffice to say the new talent getting tougher every day, all you can do is take each match as it comes. I’m looking forward to driving that momentum from British No1 to world No1 – hopefully this year’s Wimbledon will help me achieve that.”

Launching today, Monday 12 June, the campaign will be rolled out across digital, social, OOH and broadcast channels over the coming weeks. Each poster moment from the trailer will tease out in the lead-up to The Championships as part of a social campaign aimed at attracting new audiences globally. The Championships Qualifying Competition begins on Monday 26 June before the main draw action of the fortnight begins on Monday 3 July.

Credits:

Client: The All England Lawn Tennis Club
Marketing & Commercial Director: Usama Al-Qassab
Marketing & Brand Lead: Harry Kerr
Brand Manager: Sarah Lopeman
Creative Lead: Alessandro Perottoni
Content Manager: Will Giles
Creative Agency: McCann London
Joint UK Chief Creative Officers: Laurence Thomson & Rob Doubal
Creative Directors:  Matt Searle & Olly Wood
Art Director: Ran Stallard
Copy Writer: Amanda Devarajan
Managing Director: Tommy Smith
Account Director: Charlie Pullan
Strategy Director: Emily Ellis-Mitchell
Project Manager: Natalie Cummings
Head of Design: Lisa Carrana
Agency Production : Craft London
Chief Production Officer: Ben Clark
Managing Director: Tanya Bogin
Lead EP/Head of Agency Production: Amos Usiskin
Senior Producer: Sarah Hall
EP, Music Production & Licensing: Chris Graves
Head of Business Affairs: Clare Betts

Production Company: Iconoclast/ Sauvage
Director: Ernest Desumbila
Executive Producer (Sauvage): Llibert Figueras
VFX Co-ordinator: Marta Silva
Executive Producer (Iconoclast): Guy Rolfe
Producer (Iconoclast): Campbell Beaton
Sound: Factory
Senior Sound Engineer: Jack Hallet
Executive Producer : Deborah Whitfield
Senior Audio Producer: Beth Massey
PR Agency: BCW Worldwide
Director: Lara Tuboku Mertzger
Senior Account Manager: Fiona Baird
Account Manager: Ellie Foster
Media Agency: TwoCircles
Lead Consultant: Ed Clarke
Analyst: Francis Harvey
Analyst: Rick Rajamenon