AR/VR In Wimbledon 2022: Engaging New Audiences Through Innovative Experiences

Wimbledon is widely regarded as one of the world’s most popular sporting events, and the single most prestigious tournament in tennis. In 2021, the ground hosted an audience of 42,000 while the BBC televised to a further 15.5 million viewers¹.

For the marketer, what makes this 14-day event so special is its ability to conjure a short-lived obsession in society, ultimately drawing in a wider digital audience as Wimbledon-fever takes hold. In 2021, related internet searches reached 55.6 million².

This provides a massive opportunity for Wimbledon’s sponsors – the unique platform gives them the scope to get creative with their marketing campaigns to achieve widespread brand engagement.

Vodafone – connecting through future tech

Nowhere has this creativity been better demonstrated than by Vodafone, official connectivity partner of Wimbledon 2022.

In their #FeelTheConnection campaign, Vodafone utilised the latest Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) 360-degree technology to bring fans an altogether different, more immersive experience of the action.

The campaign saw the telecommunications tech pioneer showcase its 5G connectivity capabilities, using the latest VR 360-degree technology provided by technology start-up YBVR.

Wimbledon fans got to experience the tournament and connect with their favourite players as never before. For Vodafone, this innovative “future tech” enabled audiences to engage with the brand through their browsers, on social media channels, and in the grounds themselves.

5 Highlights of Vodafone’s AR/VR campaign

#FeelTheConnection televised advert

What better way to introduce this technology than an advert shot entirely on 360 cameras? The ad featured a 10-year-old tennis fan watching tennis star Emma Raducanu in a match on her phone.

The young fan is then transported into Vodafone’s AR/VR experience – powered by Vodafone’s connectivity, she can feel what it’s like to make a racket on the biggest stage (Wimbledon Uncovered in 360 experience) and walk down the centre court in her favourite player’s shoes (VR Walk of Champions experience).

The advert, which aired in June, demonstrated how people who accessed Wimbledon.com/Vodafone would be able to feel more connected to Wimbledon than ever before.

Wimbledon Uncovered in 360

Thanks to Vodafone and the power of 5G, fans everywhere could access Wimbledon Uncovered 360 on their digital devices around the clock. This complementary match coverage to the live BBC broadcast used a live stream 360-degree camera to fully immerse viewers in the Wimbledon experience.

Throughout the day, this camera explored SW19 and followed the action, from spectating on Henman Hill amidst the real-life crowds, to interview coverage and a first-class seat view at the Centre Court.

Virtual Reality Walk of Champions

Wimbledon’s main sponsor didn’t stop there. Vodafone cultivated a truly unique backstage experience for fans using VR, allowing visitors to step into champions shoes and walk through The Clubhouse to Centre Court. Along the way, Tim Henman guided fans through some of Wimbledon’s most iconic moments.

By also making this available as a mobile experience on browsers, Vodafone could draw in and market to a wide digital audience, virtually limitless in reach.

Snapchat AR lens

Much of the campaign focussed on captivating a younger audience. As part of this strategy, Vodafone teamed up with Snapchat to launch an exclusive AR lens on the app. Currently, this platform has around 20.65 million UK users³, constituting a third of all social media users in the UK⁴.

Over a half of these so-called Snapchatters are aged 15-25 years and a further 20% are aged 26-35⁵. This makes Snapchat an ideal platform to engage with Generation Z (Gen Z) and Millennials; the demographics predicted most likely to embrace and adopt 5G technology⁶.

Once Snapchatters activated the AR lens, they were congratulated on their Wimbledon victory by Gen Z icon Emma Raducanu, could turn their cameras to find themselves immersed in the Centre Court, and were invited to “strike a pose” dressed in Vodafone-branded champions-wear.

Instagram AR match

Vodafone’s multi-platform campaign also made use of Instagram; a social media app that’s mainly used by Millennials followed by Gen Z⁷.

This interactive experience gave fans the chance to play tennis in AR. Participants were then encouraged to share their scores on Vodafone’s Instagram page to be in with a chance of winning #VodafoneTreats.

Digital Playmakers have the digital know-how and creative genius to help clients curate the most innovative marketing campaigns for their audiences.

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AR/VR in Wimbledon 2022: engaging new audiences through innovative experiences

Vodafone – connecting through future tech