NEW YORK—The U.S. Open is proving to be more popular than ever this year, drawing record crowds to the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center since it kicked off August 19. After setting a record opening day attendance of 68,059 people, the 51st edition of the modern tennis tournament is still on track to set an all-time attendance mark; through Labor Day, the event drew 540,333, which is the tournament’s highest-ever attendance for its first eight days.
While New Yorkers and visitors have taken the 7 train out to Flushing, Queens, to see matches such as Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova and star players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, onsite brand experiences also have been a major draw for tennis fans. Longtime tournament sponsors such as American Express, I.B.M., and J.P.Morgan Chase have evolved their fan experiences to deliver a mix of high-tech and low-tech activations and lounges, while other brands such as first-time sponsor InterContinental Hotels Group and Fila have held adjacent pop-ups around the city to interact with tennis fans.
Here’s a look at some of the most engaging event ideas from sponsors and brands at this year’s U.S. Open, which runs through September 8.
American Express “Tennis City” Fan Experience
For its 26th year of partnership with the U.S. Open, American Express worked with Momentum Worldwide to create an interactive fan experience at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The experience pays homage to the sporting event’s home of New York, with a variety of interactive stations that replicate aspects of the city. Stations include Borough Ball, a game of pong that allows fans to become players on a game board, designed to reflect each of New York’s boroughs. Another station features digital murals, designed by Brooklyn-based artist Askew One, where fans can use digital spray paint cans to create their own art.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images
A replica of the Empire State Building, created with tennis nets, includes a neon hashtag sign, surrounded by hanging tennis balls.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images
A “Court Street Station” subway car buildout takes fans through historical moments in U.S. Open history by using audio and visual theater.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images
The “Rally Remix,” mirroring a New York subway map, invites fans to create music by using tennis balls to trigger specific beats and rhythms.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images
American Express Centurion Suite
Located at Louis Armstrong Stadium, the American Express Centurion Suite shows the location of the brand’s Centurion airport lounges on a world map created with string art.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images
The suite also previews 1850, a speakeasy-inspired bar that will be housed inside the upcoming Centurion Lounge at J.F.K. Terminal 4. The space features pop art-style portraits of tennis legends, including Serena Williams.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images
Fila Tennis in Technicolor Pop-Up
Italian sportswear company Fila ended a yearlong campaign celebrating the brand's original creative director, Pierluigi Rolando, with a colorful pop-up in Williamsburg that ran August 24 to 25. The tennis-theme pop-up, which was produced and designed by the Gathery, paid tribute to Rolando (known for introducing color to tennis outfits in 1973) with a variety of tennis-theme vignettes and table tennis.
Photo: Omar Alexander Hernandez
Campaign illustrations, which were created by Quentin Monge, and facts were displayed in city-theme vignettes, including one inspired by New York.
Photo: Omar Alexander Hernandez
Interactive stations for guests included a coloring book mural, where guests could color in the newest campaign illustrations.
Photo: Omar Alexander Hernandez
A multimedia retrospective of Fila’s history with the sport showcased illustrations and photos in blocks of different colors.
Photo: Omar Alexander Hernandez
The pop-up also featured a colorful court, with a DJ booth and “Backhand Bar” that served Italian drinks and food.
Photo: Omar Alexander Hernandez
Mercedes-Benz A.R. Experience
Mercedes-Benz debuted an augmented-reality experience featuring Sloane Stephens, inviting fans to take a virtual tennis lesson from the 2017 U.S. Open champion and Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador. The car brand developed the technology experience by capturing the style and play of Stephens with video, and translating the footage into A.R. features. To capture Sloane's performance, Mercedes-Benz recorded her in front of a green screen as an alpha-channel enabled video, which creates an illusion mimicking her real-life behaviors and motions. Fans activated the personalized lesson by approaching the tennis court and verbally asking, "Hey, Mercedes, teach me to play like Sloane.” After the U.S. Open, the experience will travel to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the first Atlanta Falcons home game of the N.F.L. season.
Photo: Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz
I.B.M. Experience
I.B.M., which powers the U.S. Open's digital platforms, brought back its fan experience to Arthur Ashe Stadium, welcoming attendees with an entrance that mirrored a blue court. The technology company’s logo was backed by a wall of blue tennis balls. I.B.M. also announced the Coach Advisor, a new technology solution developed in partnership with the U.S.T.A. The solution leverages I.B.M. and Red Hat hybrid cloud capabilities to provide artificial intelligence and analytics to coaches for new insight into a player’s performance. The experience was produced by I.B.M.’s in-house team in partnership with George P. Johnson and Spinifex.
Photo: Courtesy of I.B.M.
The main interactive area for guests was designed to showcase three dimensions of I.B.M. Watson for fans. The environment demonstrates how the computer system uses visual recognition, sound analysis, and natural language understanding to produce A.I.-generated highlights. Guests can create their own A.I. highlight and view the latest A.I. highlights for all live show court matches.
Photo: Courtesy of I.B.M.
Grey Goose Suite
The Grey Goose Suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium is open through the duration of the event, serving guests cocktails and showing live matches. Epsilon designed the suite.
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Grey Goose
The bar serves cocktails such as the Honey Deuce, the brand’s signature tennis-theme drink, on branded tennis rackets.
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Grey Goose
A colorful step-and-repeat evokes wings, created with tennis balls, rackets, and purple cocktail glasses.
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Grey Goose
Chase Music Match
For its 38th year sponsoring the U.S. Open, the financial services firm J.P.Morgan Chase has offered Chase members access to onsite lounges, ATMs, and a week of free Chase Sound Check concerts at Pier 17, featuring artists including Haim and Leon Bridges. New this year is an onsite activation that invites fans to take a digital quiz that matches them with a playlist of a Chase brand ambassador. Fans can find out if their taste in music is most like celebrities such as Serena Williams, Steph Curry, Lindsey Vonn, or the Scott Brothers.
Photo: Jennifer Pottheiser
I.H.G. Experience
InterContinental Hotels Group, a first-time hospitality partner of the tournament, has opened a free spa-inspired experience for attendees onsite. Produced by Momentum Worldwide, the indoor-outdoor wellness activation serves guests samples of infused waters from a tennis-theme bar.
Photo: Courtesy of I.H.G. Hotels & Resorts
Guests can relax with massages and cooling towels with property-inspired scents, while watching a video about a destination of their choice.
Photo: Courtesy of I.H.G. Hotels & Resorts
Design elements include a world map created with moss that displays an I.H.G. tagline and hashtag.
Photo: Courtesy of I.H.G. Hotels & Resorts
I.H.G. Ice Cream Cart
The brand also held an ice cream pop-up August 20 to 21 at Kimpton Hotel Eventi. For the family-friendly activation, I.H.G. partnered with New York-based ice cream shop Morgenstern’s to serve four flavors inspired by four I.H.G. brands; lychee raspberry sorbet for InterContinental, green tea pistachio for Six Senses, bourbon vanilla for Kimpton, and tahini caramel for Regent.
Photo: Courtesy of I.H.G. Hotels & Resorts
