This epic spot blends legends, rising stars and iconic moments from Centre Court to excite us all about a thrilling summer of tennis action.
Wimbledon is coming: the world-famous tennis tournament takes place on 1-14 July. And advertising agency McCann London has already unveiled an evocative new trailer for their client, The All England Lawn Tennis Club, hyping the championships.
The 60-second spot, titled Always Like Never Before, takes viewers on a journey through some of the tennis tournament’s most iconic moments.
Directed by the filmmaker Carl Addy at The Mayda Creative Co, the trailer re-imagines archive material, built by creative VFX studio Daydreamer. It uses a mixture of archive footage, advanced 3D animation, CGI and photography to revisit historic Wimbledon moments from angles that would never have been seen on the original broadcasts.
Enhancing the visceral experience is an evocative score by composer Tom Player, who’s known for his work on Game of Thrones and Tenet and for collaborating with Hans Zimmer and Ramin Djawadi on films like The Dark Knight.
His blend of orchestral and contemporary sounds aims to cement Wimbledon’s sporting prestige on the global stage during a summer featuring Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics.
Immersive moments
The ad takes viewers on a journey into the future as the stars of today prepare to battle at The Championships in 2024. The immersive spot opens with last year’s epic gentlemen’s singles final, where at just 20 years old, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz did the unthinkable, defeating seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic.
Following this unforgettable moment, time freezes, and we see all that came before… from Serena Williams’ power, Djokovic’s dexterity and grass-eating tradition, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid’s five successive Wimbledon wins in the wheelchair doubles, Roger Federer’s brilliance across the years, to Tokito Oda and Andy Murray’s triumphant moments and the unseeded success of last year’s ladies’ singles champion, Marketa Vondrousova.
“Always Like Never Before was a fantastic brief: a wonderfully complex task that deserves an elegant solution,” says Carl. “How can we reimagine iconic Wimbledon moments that are so familiar to the fans? It’s a delicate balance of presenting these moments with a more intimate access.
“Closer than being there, more connected than watching it on a screen. All the while balancing the power of the game in frozen, timeless scenes. It’s these kinds of sophisticated, nuanced executions that we love.”
Global launch
The creative sits under Wimbledon’s existing Always Like Never Before platform, established for last year’s trailer by McCann London. The trailer is now live globally across TV, digital and social. The campaign’s OOH, meanwhile, has been designed by Space.
“From the living grass court surface to the All England Club’s fastidious attention to detail, to the majestic tennis action it inspires – every unique facet of Wimbledon delivers the unexpected, the surprising and the simply unforgettable moments which are woven beautifully together in our latest instalment of our Always Like Never Before series,” said Matt Searle and Olly Wood, creative directors at McCann.
“The Championships – and our bold client, the All England Club – continue to combine tradition with a thirst for innovation by once again embracing game-changing production partners, industry-defining composers, and with the bar for craft set to ‘like never before’ – the future of Wimbledon is bright indeed.”
Usama Al-Qassab, the All England Club’s marketing and commercial director, adds: “Year after year, The Championships surprise and captivate us and the creative platform from McCann allows us to celebrate the next generation of players and also pay homage to the giants of yesteryear.
“The creativity of frozen-in-time moments to unexpected twists, this ‘Always Like Never Before’ campaign has become synonymous with our spirit at Wimbledon, where we balance innovation and heritage.
“Each instalment unveils a fresh perspective, reimagining our storied traditions and showcasing the magic of SW19, and we are excited for another unforgettable Championships to be added to the history books this July.”
