‘We want to build some fomo’: Wimbledon’s CMO on creativity, traditions and innovation

The grim weather that has graced the UK this summer has tested the British public’s ability to make the best of a less than ideal situation. Wimbledon fans are no exception.

Much like music fans donning their plastic ponchos at a festival, Henman Hill was alive with tennis fans curled up under umbrellas. While Carlos Alcaraz was taking on Tommy Paul on number one Court in a nail-biting rally, Usama Al-Qassab, director of marketing and commercial at Wimbledon, spoke about all things creative and innovation for the 150-year sporting event.

Al-Qassab, who has previously worked at Disney and PlayStation, says that Wimbledon’s creative platform "Always like never before" by McCann London recognises both “the heritage and the innovation” of the event, but also aims to “build some fomo [fear of missing out]”.

The 2024 campaign launched in June and featured a 60-second film taking viewers on a journey into the future as the players get ready for the tournament.

“Always like never before” is the first creative platform to be maintained for more than one year. According to Al-Qassab, “Always” illustrates how Wimbledon is deeply tied to its traditions, treating guests like they’re at a five-star hotel while showering them with Pimm’s, Champagne and, of course, strawberries and cream. “Like never before” also encompasses how Wimbledon aims to innovate and grow every year.

Comparing Wimbledon to putting on a wedding for tens of thousands of people every day for two weeks, Al-Qassab says: “We believe that having good, strong creative is part and parcel of what's driving [the event’s growth].”

Other creative work featuring across this year’s event includes the official poster by Bella Grace, which features easter eggs relating to Wimbledon. The illustration was also painted by Global Street Art on Hackney Road. McCann’s “Always like never before” has a strong out-of-home presence on tennis fans’ journeys to the venue too.

Wimbledon’s balloting system, both nationally and internationally, is double what it was pre-Covid and domestically, it has “bucked the trend of live TV in decline,” according to Al-Qassab. These numbers are only set to increase given the popularity of Luca Guadagnino’s recent tennis drama Challengers, which Al-Qassab says has already had an influence on fashion at Wimbledon, coining it the “Zendaya-effect."

Al-Qassab says that three things helped Wimbledon grow this year. “One was the continuity of the creative platform that performed well last year. The second is to continue to innovate, to be able to acquire new and different audiences, both domestically and internationally. [Lastly] we've got a digital strategy where our digital footprint has grown by over 100% already.”

Wimbledon doubled its online engagement throughout the first week of the Championships by investing in its creative content. The event produced more than 3,000 pieces of digital content in the first week such as “Day in the life of a tennis player” on TikTok, which has garnered more than 158,000 views at the time of writing.

 

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“We want to bring new and different audiences in,” Al-Qassab says. “We need to create a new generation of tennis players and make them famous.” This ambition has pushed the Wimbledon marketing team to prioritise its social media presence as well as take part in collaborations with the likes of Roblox and PlayStation.

Al-Qassab stresses the importance of reaching an international audience as well as a younger audience. “It's really important to us that we're not just designing and building the brand for a domestic UK marketplace,” he says. “It's important that we can actually penetrate globally.”

Wimbledon has undergone a series of stunts in the US, such as lighting up the Empire State Building with the Wimbledon colours as well as bringing the Hill to Brooklyn Bridge, so New Yorkers can immerse themselves in the tennis.

Three things stand out to Al-Qassab when it comes to Wimbledon’s ambition: “We want to deliver the sporting excellence that people can participate in. We want to be a guardian of tennis. We want to be a force for good.”