FCB
The AI-powered tennis match that aired as a prime-time unique on ESPN tops off a gorgeous awards season for brand and agency
FCB New York Wins Sports Emmy for Michelob ULTRA’s “McEnroe vs McEnroe”
FCB New York and Michelob ULTRA have been awarded the 2023 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Digital Innovation by the International Academy of Tv Arts & Sciences for the groundbreaking lengthy-kind film “McEnroe vs McEnroe,” a 1st-of-its-type branded AI activation that aired as a prime-time unique on ESPN.
NEW YORK, Could 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FCB New York and Michelob ULTRA have been awarded the 2023 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Digital Innovation by the International Academy of Tv Arts & Sciences for the groundbreaking lengthy-kind film “McEnroe vs McEnroe,” a 1st-of-its-type branded AI activation that aired as a prime-time unique on ESPN.
By way of the mixture of AI, Unreal Engine MetaHuman technologies, physique tracking, and a pair of completely synchronized robotic arms, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” became the 1st tennis match in history in which a legend of the sport was capable to take on younger versions of himself in genuine time. The final outcome was so impressive that ESPN decided to air it — totally free of charge to the brand — as an hour-lengthy unique in prime time across 52 nations. With more than ten million views, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” became 1 of the most-watched sports events of the year, besting the 2021 NBA Finals.
This win marks the 1st Sports Emmy for each Michelob ULTRA and FCB New York, which, all through their multi-year partnership, have been pushing the boundaries of technologies in novel strategies to boost the enjoyment of sports. Like in 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions produced it not possible for fans to attend games in particular person, and they launched “Courtside,” a platform that permitted fans to attend practically — which integrated seeing their faces in the stands and chatting with folks in their “section” — by scanning a Michelob ULTRA bottle.
Michelob ULTRA’s distinct positioning about joy — doubling down on cultural relevance, grabbing people’s consideration and reminding them that joy is not just an afterthought — has helped the brand develop to the 2nd-most significant beer in the nation. They’ve accomplished this accomplishment in spite of relentless category competitors and headwinds for the light-beer category, which has declined three% to four% per year considering that 2013.
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To date, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” has earned a lot more than 120 media placements, with Sports Illustrated saying it “could be the future of sports” and Yahoo! praising it for “reinventing sports entertainment.” Considering that the launch of the system, organic searches for “Michelob ULTRA” have grown by 95%.
“An notion as ambitious as ‘McEnroe vs McEnroe’ can only occur when you have that best storm of relentless creatives, visionary clientele and devoted partners — all with a Never ever Completed spirit and a shared belief in the energy of creativity as an financial multiplier,” stated Michael Aimette, Chief Inventive Officer of FCB New York.
“We basically can not thank our clientele at Michelob ULTRA adequate for locking arms with us to bring this notion to life, and for usually proving that ‘it’s only worth it if you take pleasure in it,’” added Emma Armstrong, FCB New York’s CEO.
FCB New York is presently the #1 agency in the globe according to the not too long ago released A single Club International Rankings, as properly as the #1 Inventive Agency for Effectiveness as named in the WARC Helpful one hundred list. It was awarded Agency of the Year by the Clios, as properly as Campaign’s Experiential and B2B Agency of the Year, and was named to the Contagious Pioneers list of very best and bravest agencies in the globe.
“McEnroe vs McEnroe” has swept the 2022/2023 marketing awards season, taking property Ad Age’s Tech Innovation of the Year, 5 Cannes Lions, 15 Clios, 13 ADC awards and 24 awards at The A single Show.
About FCB
FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) is a worldwide, award-winning and integrated advertising communications enterprise with a heritage of creativity and accomplishment dating from 1873.
FCB New York has been recognized globally for employing creativity as an financial multiplier to drive meaningful small business benefits for its clientele, amongst them AB InBev, the FDA, MorningStar Farms, New York Mets and Spotify. In 2023 alone, the agency was named the #1 agency in the globe on The A single Club’s International Rankings, awarded Agency of the Year by the Clios, honored as WARC’s #1 Inventive Agency for Effectiveness, named to Contagious Pioneers’ list of very best and bravest agencies in the globe, and selected as Campaign’s Experiential and B2B Agency of the Year. With a lot more than eight,000 folks in 109 operations in 80 nations, FCB is element of the Interpublic Group of Organizations (NYSE: IPG). Stop by fcb.com or stick to @FCBglobal and @fcbnewyork on Instagram.
A photo accompanying this announcement is obtainable at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bad08191-bfbb-4459-b953-11d132d29c8a
Speak to: Kellie Gleason kellie.gleason@fcb.com
