FCB
The AI-powered tennis match that aired as a prime-time particular on ESPN tops off a surprising awards season for model and company
FCB New York Wins Sports activities Emmy for Michelob ULTRA’s “McEnroe vs McEnroe”
FCB New York and Michelob ULTRA have been awarded the 2023 Sports activities Emmy for Excellent Digital Innovation by the Worldwide Academy of Tv Arts & Sciences for the groundbreaking long-form movie “McEnroe vs McEnroe,” a first-of-its-kind branded AI activation that aired as a prime-time particular on ESPN.
NEW YORK, Might 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FCB New York and Michelob ULTRA have been awarded the 2023 Sports activities Emmy for Excellent Digital Innovation by the Worldwide Academy of Tv Arts & Sciences for the groundbreaking long-form movie “McEnroe vs McEnroe,” a first-of-its-kind branded AI activation that aired as a prime-time particular on ESPN.
By means of the mix of AI, Unreal Engine MetaHuman expertise, physique monitoring, and a pair of completely synchronized robotic arms, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” grew to become the primary tennis match in historical past through which a legend of the game was in a position to tackle youthful variations of himself in actual time. The ultimate consequence was so spectacular that ESPN determined to air it — freed from cost to the model — as an hour-long particular in prime time throughout 52 nations. With over 10 million views, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” grew to become one of many most-watched sports activities occasions of the 12 months, besting the 2021 NBA Finals.
This win marks the primary Sports activities Emmy for each Michelob ULTRA and FCB New York, which, all through their multi-year partnership, have been pushing the boundaries of expertise in novel methods to reinforce the enjoyment of sports activities. Like in 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions made it unimaginable for followers to attend video games in particular person, and so they launched “Courtside,” a platform that allowed followers to attend nearly — which included seeing their faces within the stands and chatting with individuals of their “part” — by scanning a Michelob ULTRA bottle.
Michelob ULTRA’s distinct positioning round pleasure — doubling down on cultural relevance, grabbing individuals’s consideration and reminding them that pleasure isn’t just an afterthought — has helped the model develop to the 2nd-biggest beer within the nation. They’ve achieved this success regardless of relentless class competitors and headwinds for the light-beer class, which has declined 3% to 4% per 12 months since 2013.
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So far, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” has earned greater than 120 media placements, with Sports activities Illustrated saying it “could possibly be the way forward for sports activities” and Yahoo! praising it for “reinventing sports activities leisure.” Because the launch of this system, natural searches for “Michelob ULTRA” have grown by 95%.
“An concept as formidable as ‘McEnroe vs McEnroe’ can solely occur when you may have that excellent storm of relentless creatives, visionary purchasers and devoted companions — all with a By no means Completed spirit and a shared perception within the energy of creativity as an financial multiplier,” stated Michael Aimette, Chief Artistic Officer of FCB New York.
“We merely can’t thank our purchasers at Michelob ULTRA sufficient for locking arms with us to deliver this concept to life, and for all the time proving that ‘it’s solely value it if you happen to take pleasure in it,’” added Emma Armstrong, FCB New York’s CEO.
FCB New York is at present the #1 company on the earth in response to the lately launched One Membership International Rankings, in addition to the #1 Artistic Company for Effectiveness as named within the WARC Efficient 100 record. It was awarded Company of the Yr by the Clios, in addition to Marketing campaign’s Experiential and B2B Company of the Yr, and was named to the Contagious Pioneers record of finest and bravest companies on the earth.
“McEnroe vs McEnroe” has swept the 2022/2023 promoting awards season, taking residence Advert Age’s Tech Innovation of the Yr, 5 Cannes Lions, 15 Clios, 13 ADC awards and 24 awards at The One Present.
About FCB
FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) is a worldwide, award-winning and built-in advertising communications firm with a heritage of creativity and success relationship from 1873.
FCB New York has been acknowledged globally for utilizing creativity as an financial multiplier to drive significant enterprise outcomes for its purchasers, amongst them AB InBev, the FDA, MorningStar Farms, New York Mets and Spotify. In 2023 alone, the company was named the #1 company on the earth on The One Membership’s International Rankings, awarded Company of the Yr by the Clios, honored as WARC’s #1 Artistic Company for Effectiveness, named to Contagious Pioneers’ record of finest and bravest companies on the earth, and chosen as Marketing campaign’s Experiential and B2B Company of the Yr. With greater than 8,000 individuals in 109 operations in 80 nations, FCB is a part of the Interpublic Group of Firms (NYSE: IPG). Go to fcb.com or comply with @FCBglobal and @fcbnewyork on Instagram.
A photograph accompanying this announcement is obtainable at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bad08191-bfbb-4459-b953-11d132d29c8a
CONTACT: Kellie Gleason kellie.gleason@fcb.com