Leveraging its 2020 French Open rights, OPPO showcased its 5G offering when it empowered a group of rising tennis stars to connect with French tennis legend turned Roland-Garros administrator Guy Forget.
The idea was to enable a group of junior tennis players who weren’t able to attend matches as this year’s French Open, due to the major limitation on live spectator numbers due to the pandemic, with former world number three, Davis Cup winner and skipper and current French Open Tournament Director Guy Forget.
Forget, who won the Roland-Garros Junior title in 1982, discussed his memory of that moment and aimed to spark a light to the young players from China, India, Romania, and Thailand who participated in the 5G video chat.
Of course, the parallel objective for the sponsor was to showcase the capabilities of OPPO 5G Find X2 Pro handset and the tournament’s 5G deployment.
What's your go-to shoot setting for sports?
Set to wide on #OPPOFindX2Series and capture all the drama of the stadium. #OPPOxRG20 pic.twitter.com/KEAJwzCEtm
— OPPO (@oppo) September 30, 2020
The main draws are here. What about your predictions for Roland-Garros?
#OPPOxRG20#RG20 pic.twitter.com/awgK4jAMaH
— OPPO (@oppo) September 27, 2020
It was in 2019 that OPPO became a Premium Partner and the Official Smartphone of the Paris clay court grand slam and the company is also the title sponsor of the ‘Junior Wild Card Series’ so this digital, distanced initiative replaced the chance to compete in-person this year and dovetails with the brand’s French tennis junior and elite tie-ups.
Among OPPO’s other activation strands at Roland-Garros 2020 were a brand-backed Photo Gallery which showcased the most beautiful tournament moments captured by the OPPO Find X2 Pro some of which are amplified across the brand’s social channels, as well as increased stadium visibility for the handful of fans in the venue and for those watching from home.
For the 2020 tournament, OPPO is also offering a unique onsite experience for a group of people to play at sunset – with images captured by the Find X2 Pro.
“Our 5G devices perform even better in the further enhanced 5G environment at Roland-Garros this year,” said Gregor Almassy, Overseas CMO, OPPO. “Connecting global young talents with a legend like Guy Forget, showcases the capabilities and enhanced connectivity of OPPO 5G. The success of it also demonstrates that Roland-Garros and OPPO have shared commitment to enhance and provide better stadium experience for global users and fans.”
“We are proud to be able to welcome back players and fans to Roland-Garros 2020 in a safe environment and we are excited to be able to offer innovative experiences using 5G technology,” said Guy Forget. “The partnership between Roland-Garros and OPPO is about empowering the next generation of champions by facilitating connections and developing the link between tennis and technology, which is more important than ever in these difficult times.”
“While it’s disappointing to be unable to compete on the clay courts this year, being able to use today’s technology to transport me there and see how the game and fan experience is changing was eye-opening,” said Shaikh Humera, from India. “Connecting with a former pro to hear how he managed the highs and lows of his own career encourages me to keep practicing to be even stronger for next year’s competition.”
Comment:
On May 14, 2019 OPPO signed a partnership agreement with the French Tennis Federation (FFT), becoming a Premium Partner and Official Smartphone of the world-renowned Roland-Garros and of the Rolex Paris Masters.
This year’s OPPO activations aim to engage more deeply with a younger audience not only in Europe but across the wider global tennis fan base and particularly to increase its presence in markets throughout Asia.
OPPO, which also partners with Wimbledon, uses the Grand Slam tournament tie-ups as a platform for both sports innovation and brand awareness and position, plus product promotion.
For example, last year, OPPO showcased its first European 5G handsets onsite and the first-ever live 8K TV images of Roland-Garros supported by the stadium’s 5G network.
As well as its tennis partnerships, OPPO’s sports sponsorship stable also includes a major ICC Cricket World Cup partnership which was activated in 2019 through a campaign called ‘Shot Maker’ (see case study).
Links:
Oppo
https://www.oppo.com/en/events/oppo-and-tennis/oppo-and-roland-garros/
https://www.youtube.com/c/OppoOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/oppo/
https://www.facebook.com/OPPOMobile
French Open/ Roland Garros
https://twitter.com/rolandgarros
https://www.youtube.com/rolandgarros
https://www.instagram.com/rolandgarros/
https://www.facebook.com/RolandGarros
https://www.pinterest.com/rolandgarros/
https://plus.google.com/+rolandgarros
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