Gatorade: Serena Williams | Match Point [presentation image]

Credits & Description:

Title: Serena Williams | Match Point | Gatorade
Agency: Tbwa\Chiat\Day
Brand: Gatorade
Country: USA
Entrant Company: Tbwa\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles
Advertising Agency: Tbwa\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles
Media Agency: Omd Usa, Chicago
Pr Agency: Fleishmanhillard, Chicago
Production Company: Tbwa\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles / Ludomade, Los Angeles
Chief Creative Officer: Brent Anderson (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Chief Creative Officer: Renato Fernandez (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Copywriter: Parker Adame (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Art Director: Matt Paterno (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Chief Production Officer: Tanya Lesieur (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Executive Director Of Production: Brian Orourke (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Director Of Digital Production: Nathan Pitzel (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Executive Integrated Producer: Kat Urban (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Managing Director: Jerico Cabaysa (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Brand Director: Robyn Morris (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Brand Manager: Tommy Cottam (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Executive Project Manager: Alice Pavlisko (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Group Planning Director: Scott Macmaster (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Global Planning Director: Martin Ramos (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Planning Director: Abigail Weintraub (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Planner: Matt Bataclan (Tbwa\Chiat\Day Los Angeles)
Execution:
The game was placed within the ESPN Discover page on Snapchat and ran for the duration of the US Open. Since their story was customized for the tournament, it was the perfect place to reach our target audience and use our game to teach them even more about the tournament’s heavy favorite - Serena Williams.
Strategy:
Snapchat is our teen audience's most-used social media platform. With over 100 million active users watching 10 billion videos a day, the numbers are outrageous. But because of this inordinate amount of content, the average click-through rate of a Snapchat post is less than three seconds. Which means the platform was the most effective way to reach our audience, but not the most effective way to get them to engage. We needed to figure out how to get them to absorb 20 years of sports history in less than three seconds. We decided the best way to do this was to give them something they've never seen, but also something that fit the platform. The perfect mix of classic storytelling and modern social engagement.
Campaign Description:
We created a 22-level video game embedded within a standard Snapchat ad unit. The game took users through the journey of Serena’s entire career and challenged them to win each of her 22 Grand Slams along the way. We distilled every Major into a specific level and even duplicated Serena’s exact outfits and hairstyles down to a pixel to make sure the game was as historically accurate as possible. And with each level played, the game became harder and harder to beat. Making users aware of just how impressive Serena Williams’ career really is.
Synopsis:
Serena Williams is arguably the greatest female athlete the world has ever seen. She has reigned over the sport of tennis for over 20 years, setting numerous records, and capturing 22 Major Championships along the way. As she headed into last year’s US Open, Gatorade wanted to celebrate the career of this prolific athlete, while attempting to put her accomplishments into perspective. However, we had a problem. The teen audience we were trying to reach had no time for our history lesson. They’re busy on apps, like Snapchat, flipping through mindless content at the blink of an eye. We had to find a way to tell our story, but on their terms.
Outcome:
The game was a hit, garnering over 395 million impressions and shared by one in every three people who came across it. It was featured by hundreds of media outlets, ranging in topics from sports to gaming to technology. By challenging the narrative of the platform, we were able to do something on Snapchat that had never been done - we got users to stop. Spending over three minutes on our game, 65 times longer than the Snapchat average. Proving that no matter the medium, everyone has time for a great story.
Relevancy:
Serena Williams' Match Point was a nationally covered campaign that was celebrated by media outlets in advertising, sports, and technology alike. Utilizing mediums from online outlets to live television, we were able to change the perception of Gatorade from a historic sports brand to an innovative leader in the digital and social age.