Tennis player Maria Sharapova has "signed a two-year partnership with American Express for this year and next year’s U.S. Open, marking the first time" the two have worked together, according to Nathalie Tadena of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. In addition to appearing in a "You vs. Sharapova" virtual reality game, Sharapova yesterday began appearing in "out-of-home ads" that "promote the services American Express is offering on and off-site." The ads, which highlight Sharapova’s "competitive spirit, will appear in locations along the route fans take to the U.S. Open," such as Grand Central Station, the 7 subway train headed to the tournament, the U.S. Open boardwalk and the Citi Field Long Island Railroad station. The creative is a continuation of AmEx's "'Journey Never Stops' campaign that launched in February." The VR game "lets U.S. Open fans return the tennis legend’s serves with their own moves, the latest example of a marketer embracing new technologies to create immersive experiences for consumers" and is just one element of AmEx's "broader marketing efforts around the tennis tournament, which the company has sponsored for more than 20 years." The game uses "live action and computer generated imagery of the athlete" (WSJ.com, 8/17). ESPN.com's Darren Rovell noted Sharapova "spent nine hours in a virtual reality studio in California to pull off the promotion." She said, "I think our sport has grown so much because we as players have been able to get closer to the fans, especially through social media. This takes it to another level." AmEx VP/Entertainment Marketing & Sponsorships Deborah Curtis said that Sharapova's game is the "first virtual reality experience to feature live action (the fan swinging a racket) combined with a computer-generated image of an athlete" (ESPN.com, 8/17).
