Wimbledon is the oldest one of the four tennis Grand Slams and the only one played on grass. The first Championships took place in 1877 and is still held at the famous All England Club, established in 1868. This year’s trophies were given away last week, and the winners became a part of the Grand Slam’s rich history. This year’s event was won by Novak Djokovic who managed to win his fourth Wimbledon title and his first GS title in more than two years—after a long spell on the side-lines—by beating South Africa’s Kevin Anderson.

For this year’s event, Wimbledon commissioned a special illustrated print series to celebrate its many champions.  Created by McCann London, the ads ran on sites in and around the ground for the two-week duration of The Championships.

The ads are themed around the saying that “History is There to be Beaten”, and they showcase players from this year’s tournament rendered in a variety of vintage illustration styles. Each player is placed in a historical context, while reminding us that true greats measure themselves not just against their peers, but against history itself. And although we can consider Djokovic a very successful participant, as he managed to gain his fourth title, he is no match to the current record holder, Roger Federer, who has won Wimbledon eight times!

Roger Federer’s execution was created by Philip Harris of Agency Rush and feature original techniques used in Victorian and Edwardian print-making. Harris also created a similarly stylized poster of Garbine Muguruza who won the ladies’ singles in 2017. One of the true greats of the game, Serena Williams, is featured on a hand-painted illustration by Bob Venables of Illustration Limited.

Creative Directors at McCann London Rob Webster and Alexei Berwitz said in a press release that: “Wimbledon is a tournament that doesn’t just celebrate history, it actively tries to improve upon it, year after year. These ads celebrate that attitude, shared by players and tournament alike.”

The historical ads are complimented by a minute-long video of a continuous illustrated tennis rally through the ages, which showcases not just the stars to have graced Wimbledon but the ways the All England Club has changed and improved over time. Starting with Spencer Gore and ending with Roger Federer and Serena Williams (who unfortunately lost in this year’s final 10 months after giving birth to her daughter), McCann London’s #TakeOnHistory shows just how the players and the Club have evolved by changing the style of illustration with each era.

To create the spot, Wimbledon cooperated with McCann London. The agency founded in 1927 is a full-service communications agency that creates award-winning work for some of the world’s leading brands including Microsoft, L’Oréal, MasterCard, Subway, and Wimbledon. In 2016 the agency became the UK’s most awarded at leading international creative festivals including Cannes Lions and Clio Awards and was placed in the Top 10 agencies in the world by the Gunn Report. Definitely, a winners’ combination that shows all the great times of modern tennis to remember.

Credits

Wimbledon
Brand Manager: Harry Kerr
Head of Marketing, Commercial & Hospitality: James Ralley
Head of Communications, Content & Digital: Alexandra Willis

McCann/Craft
Executive Creative Director: Rob Doubal
Executive Creative Director: Laurence Thomson
Chief Strategy Officer: Theo Izzard Brown
Head of Integrated Production: Sergio Lopez
Creative Director: Alexei Berwitz
Creative Director: Rob Webster
Creative: James Crosby
Creative: Will Cottam
Business Director: Tommy Smith
Account Manager: Tom Baines
Planner: Emily Ellis
Project Director: Daniela Loccisano
Art Buyer: Pam Oskam
Head of Art: Dan Howarth
Senior Designer: Mark Fraser
Designer: Harold Perrin
Designer: Matthew Thomas
Senior Retoucher: John Martin
Retoucher: Angelika Juszczyk
Print Producer: Liam White
Creative Artworker: Qasim Muhammad