The 50th anniversary of the U.S. Open took place August 27 to September 9, drawing tennis fans to Flushing, Queens, to see Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and more tennis superstars take to the court. The tournament's landmark anniversary was highlighted by the completion of the $600 million transformation of the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The five-year renovation included revamps to 90 percent of the venue's grounds, rebuilds of most tournament courts, and a new roof structure over Arthur Ashe Stadium. Additionally, the United States Tennis Association worked with design firm Chermayeff, Geismar & Haviv to create a new U.S. Open logo to mark the anniversary.
As with previous years, U.S.T.A. and sponsors engaged with fans throughout the tournament with interactive experiences tied to the sport, held both on site and at various locations in Manhattan. Here's a look at some of the buzziest event highlights, including an opening night performance by Kelly Clarkson, an augmented-reality experience from American Express, and a first-time tech-fueled activation from I.B.M.
Clarkson’s performance featured LED “sugar cubes” that changed colors. The cubes were created by Symmetry Labs.Â
Pop star Kelly Clarkson kicked off the tournament with an opening night performance, which was produced by U.S.T.A. in partnership with Fiur Productions and Overland Entertainment Company. The scenic design and construction was handled by Atomic, while Design One Lighting Design handled lighting.Â
Prior to the start of the tournament, the U.S.T.A. brought its fan experience to lower Manhattan for the second consecutive year. The two-day festival featured a full-size tennis court. The U.S.T.A. partnered with LeadDog Marketing Group to produce the experience.
Fans could watch live matches from former Association of Tennis Professionals players.Â
The festival featured multiple photo ops, including a block installation commemorating the tournament’s 50th anniversary.Â
I.B.M., which has been a tournament partner for more than 25 years, had a major presence this year with the integration of the company’s A.I. Highlights, a technology solution that allows players and coaches to analyze and improve their performance. Fans could engage with the company’s technology at a new on-site experience, where guests tested I.B.M. Watson’s ability to recognize sights and sounds of the game. Guests also could create their own A.I. Highlights motion-capture visual, which they could share on social media. Additionally, the activation featured visuals of the I.B.M. Cloud and the SlamTracker, which provided scores, stats, and insights for all matches in progress. George P. Johnson produced the activation.
The legacy of the trailblazing tennis champion Arthur Ashe was celebrated throughout the course of the tournament, including at the annual kids festival at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. A photo exhibit featuring six-foot enlargements of never-before published photos of Ashe, taken by photographer John Zimmerman, lined the walkway that connects Court 17 and the Grandstand.
The financial services company entered its 25th year of partnership with the U.S.T.A. this year. As the official payments partner, American Express launched the Amex Band, a contactless payment option for eligible card members. Guests could pick up their bands at locations including the family-friendly fan experience, which featured interactive stations, photo ops, and an on-theme design. The experience was produced by Momentum Worldwide.
The interactive gaming experience Super Rally incorporated augmented reality to let fans play tennis both digitally and physically. After getting a tutorial on how to play by Venus Williams, fans used a custom-designed 3-D printed racket to hit virtual tennis balls against physical targets.
The digital components of Super Rally were also displayed on the outside of the gaming space, allowing passersby to view the game’s visuals.Â
A photo wall featured a tennis racket with the brand’s logo against a tennis ball-colored backdrop.
The second floor of the experience housed the card member club, which offered complimentary services including mobile phone chargers. Tennis balls were incorporated into the decor.Â
A playful photo op for fans was a branded Game of Thrones-inspired throne, created with tennis balls and golden tennis rackets.
Grey Goose returned as a supplier of the festival and featured a suite designed by Epsilon. Guests could pose at French Riviera-inspired photo booth with on-theme props.Â
The Grey Goose Honey Deuce, the tournament’s official cocktail, returned this year and could be ordered frozen for the first time. The cocktail consists of Grey Goose vodka, raspberry liqueur, and frozen honeydew melon balls.
The luxury airline company returned as a sponsor, with activations including a promotional booth that let fans interact with cabin crew ambassadors. The ambassadors encouraged fans to take pictures in front of a map with Dubai landmarks. Guests who posted photos to social media with the hashtag #emiratesace were entered to win a trip to Dubai.
The lavish viewing suite offered guests branded suite cushions. Emirates also gave away 100 seat cushions per session to lucky fans who scanned into U.S.T.A. Fan Pass.Â
Official U.S. Open supplier Wilson activated an on-site store that was open through the duration of the tournament. San Francisco-based creative design agency All of It Now designed the store in partnership with Epson, which used laser technology to project video in the store and on jumbo-size tennis balls.
Lacoste celebrated the launch of its new fall/winter 2018 Novak Djokovic collection with a fan event at Macy’s Herald Square. Djokovic was on site to sign autographs and pose for photos with fans.Â
