The U.S. Open Tennis Championships has changed its marketing slogan to put the focus on the dramatic on-site changes for this year’s event, including a roof over its main stadium.
The slogan “Nothing Beats Being Here,” which debuted in 2013, has been retired. The new effort touts words and phrases that feature the word “in” — such as, “INcredible,” and “INtroducing our new roof.”
“Obviously, it worked well with tennis,” said Nicole Kankam, managing director of marketing for the U.S. Tennis Association, referring to the term “in” and its on-court meaning in the sport. “But the idea is we are really inviting our existing fans and potentially new fans to be a part of this brand new U.S. Open.”
In addition to the roof, a new grandstand court is opening at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. There’s also been a change that allows for a new pedestrian thoroughfare with extra retail options.
The new Open campaign will focus more heavily on digital extensions than traditional print and TV, Kankam said, with the now-expected rollout on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
The USTA hired Horizon Media for the digital work. It previously had worked with Digital Surgeons.
McgarryBowen handled creative for the
campaign.
Tickets for this year’s Open go on sale today.
The USTA, which operates the tournament, is not increasing the number of tickets available for this year’s event, even with several thousand new grandstand seats and the extra space on the grounds. The group plans to use this year as a test to see if more tickets can be offered in coming years.
Attendance for the annual fortnight across late August and early September typically tops 700,000.
