| EVENT REPORT 03.22.06 1:10 PM |
PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
|
| American Express Brings U.S. Open to Manhattan |
| The credit card company set up viewing and tennis areas in two Manhattan parks to give the public a taste of the tournament without leaving the city. |
|
American Express cardholders—and New Yorkers stuck at work or without tickets to tennis’s big tournament—could still catch a U.S. Open tennis match in the open air at Madison Square Park or the World Financial Center. During the run of the open in Queens, the credit card company brought a bit of it to Manhattan, setting up viewing areas with tennis-related activities.
|
|
CONTINUED > |
| Photo Gallery |
 |
|
 |
|
Comfy blue beach chairs emblazoned with the American Express logo—and reserved for cardholders—filled the fountain in Madison Square Park in front of a Jumbotron set up for the brand’s U.S. Open viewing event.
|
|
|
|
Rich Lehrfeld, vice president of American Express global advertising and sponsorship, hired Momentum Worldwide to produce the nine-day events. A giant Jumbotron in Madison Square Park displayed a live satellite feed of the matches going on in Queens, while the fountain on the park’s north end was full of comfy beach chairs in American Express's signature blue and printed with the company's logo, all reserved for cardholders. (Membership has its privileges indeed.) Noncardholders were directed to aluminum bleachers that flanked both sides of the fountain. On the southwest end of the park, guests could learn the speed of their serves at
the Speed Serve Cage, or hit balls against the Rally Wall, which provided instant feedback on improving their game. Similar viewing areas and activities took place at full-size courts at the World Financial Center.
Monica Seles made appearances in both locations early in the week to give tennis tips and sign autographs, and Billie Jean King made an appearance at the World Financial Center on finals weekend to share her take on this year's closing matches.
—Suzanne Ito
Related Stories
A Grand Slam of Sponsorships at the U.S. Open
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
