One of the most influential teachers I've ever had once told me that a successful ad sells what the consumer wants most - not necessarily the specifics of the product/service, but the way it will best change his or her life.
Well, now the competition ridden US Open is selling a heart-filled group of athletes that wish to entertain you to the best of their ability while playing the purest game of tennis achievable - not just the facts of their 10 tournaments.
The campaign for the Unites States Tennis Association, a handful of 30-second spots, was created by the Martin Agency in Richmond, VA - part of the Interpublic Group.
The "It must be love" campaign (explanation following) features a dozen of the tennis celebrities that will play in the United States series in the US Open. The ads, which encourage viewers to "tune in all summer" to ESPN2 (clever), aim to humanize the pros thereby expanding their viewing audience. (Explanation: America loves celebrities; they do not need to understand the game to be obsessed with someone.)
Tennis players play a year-long season and devote all of their energy to their passion from a young age to get to the pros.
In a NYTimes article, Rob Schapiro, creative director at Martin says:
So we asked ourselves, ‘God almighty, why do they do this?’ ”
The answer, “It must be love,” became the campaign’s tagline.
The goal of the campaign is to increase the viewing market, as well as increase recreational tennis in the United States - down 34% since 1970. Tennis has become a niche interest that this campaign attempts to change.
What do you think? Will you watch ESPN2 all summer long? Will you buy a racket?
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