FCB
The AI-powered tennis match that aired as a prime-time particular on ESPN tops off a amazing awards season for brand and agency
FCB New York Wins Sports Emmy for Michelob ULTRA’s “McEnroe vs McEnroe”
FCB New York and Michelob ULTRA have been awarded the 2023 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Digital Innovation by the International Academy of Tv Arts & Sciences for the groundbreaking extended-kind film “McEnroe vs McEnroe,” a initial-of-its-type branded AI activation that aired as a prime-time particular on ESPN.
NEW YORK, Could 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FCB New York and Michelob ULTRA have been awarded the 2023 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Digital Innovation by the International Academy of Tv Arts & Sciences for the groundbreaking extended-kind film “McEnroe vs McEnroe,” a initial-of-its-type branded AI activation that aired as a prime-time particular on ESPN.
Via the mixture of AI, Unreal Engine MetaHuman technologies, physique tracking, and a pair of completely synchronized robotic arms, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” became the initial tennis match in history in which a legend of the sport was in a position to take on younger versions of himself in actual time. The final outcome was so impressive that ESPN decided to air it — cost-free of charge to the brand — as an hour-extended particular in prime time across 52 nations. With more than ten million views, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” became a single of the most-watched sports events of the year, besting the 2021 NBA Finals.
This win marks the initial Sports Emmy for each Michelob ULTRA and FCB New York, which, all through their multi-year partnership, have been pushing the boundaries of technologies in novel techniques to boost the enjoyment of sports. Like in 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions produced it not possible for fans to attend games in particular person, and they launched “Courtside,” a platform that permitted fans to attend practically — which incorporated seeing their faces in the stands and chatting with men and women in their “section” — by scanning a Michelob ULTRA bottle.
Michelob ULTRA’s distinct positioning about joy — doubling down on cultural relevance, grabbing people’s interest and reminding them that joy is not just an afterthought — has helped the brand develop to the 2nd-most significant beer in the nation. They’ve accomplished this results regardless of relentless category competitors and headwinds for the light-beer category, which has declined three% to four% per year considering that 2013.
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To date, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” has earned extra than 120 media placements, with Sports Illustrated saying it “could be the future of sports” and Yahoo! praising it for “reinventing sports entertainment.” Due to the fact the launch of the plan, organic searches for “Michelob ULTRA” have grown by 95%.
“An notion as ambitious as ‘McEnroe vs McEnroe’ can only come about when you have that fantastic storm of relentless creatives, visionary clientele and devoted partners — all with a Under no circumstances Completed spirit and a shared belief in the energy of creativity as an financial multiplier,” mentioned Michael Aimette, Chief Inventive Officer of FCB New York.
“We just can not thank our clientele at Michelob ULTRA sufficient for locking arms with us to bring this notion to life, and for normally proving that ‘it’s only worth it if you appreciate it,’” added Emma Armstrong, FCB New York’s CEO.
FCB New York is at the moment the #1 agency in the planet according to the lately released One particular Club International Rankings, as nicely as the #1 Inventive Agency for Effectiveness as named in the WARC Successful one hundred list. It was awarded Agency of the Year by the Clios, as nicely as Campaign’s Experiential and B2B Agency of the Year, and was named to the Contagious Pioneers list of greatest and bravest agencies in the planet.
“McEnroe vs McEnroe” has swept the 2022/2023 marketing awards season, taking residence Ad Age’s Tech Innovation of the Year, 5 Cannes Lions, 15 Clios, 13 ADC awards and 24 awards at The One particular Show.
About FCB
FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) is a international, award-winning and integrated advertising and marketing communications enterprise with a heritage of creativity and results dating from 1873.
FCB New York has been recognized globally for working with creativity as an financial multiplier to drive meaningful business enterprise outcomes for its clientele, amongst them AB InBev, the FDA, MorningStar Farms, New York Mets and Spotify. In 2023 alone, the agency was named the #1 agency in the planet on The One particular Club’s International Rankings, awarded Agency of the Year by the Clios, honored as WARC’s #1 Inventive Agency for Effectiveness, named to Contagious Pioneers’ list of greatest and bravest agencies in the planet, and selected as Campaign’s Experiential and B2B Agency of the Year. With extra than eight,000 men and women in 109 operations in 80 nations, FCB is element of the Interpublic Group of Businesses (NYSE: IPG). Take a look at fcb.com or adhere to @FCBglobal and @fcbnewyork on Instagram.
A photo accompanying this announcement is accessible at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bad08191-bfbb-4459-b953-11d132d29c8a
Speak to: Kellie Gleason kellie.gleason@fcb.com