Wii Sports × Wimbledon

Challenge
Gaming was still largely seen as a sedentary, push-button pastime for teenagers. The challenge was to get people to look at gaming differently, as a physical, social experience that could bring the whole family together, whatever their age.

Insight
Wimbledon makes everyone want to pick up a racket. Wii Tennis gave anyone the chance to do exactly that — without needing a court, a racket or even tennis whites.

Idea
We turned Wii Tennis into its own championship, bringing the fun and competitiveness of Wimbledon into the hands of the public.

A simple participation idea that allowed anyone to step up, grab a Wii controller and play.

Execution
Wiimbledon experiences appeared throughout the Wimbledon fortnight, taking Wii Tennis directly to fans and shoppers.

People could play at activations around Wimbledon, Wimbledon Station and Covent Garden, while tennis fans were introduced to the game as they queued for the Championships.

A major Tesco activation took the experience into retail, creating a highly visible live gaming environment where shoppers could stop, compete and discover Wii Sports for themselves.

Results
13,924 people played Wii Tennis across 48 Tesco stores, while the Wimbledon queue activation reached a further 32,589 people.

More importantly, the experience succeeded in taking gaming beyond its traditional audience: 8% played a video game for the first time, 10% had never previously bought a video game, and 20% of those sampled were over 30.

After playing, 28% said they would consider buying a Wii — demonstrating how a hands-on experience could change both perceptions and purchase consideration.