Wimbledon’s Refreshing Partnership
This year marks the 125th Wimbledon tournament; what better way to mark the progress of the tournament than a refresh of its visual identity. “It’s not about changing everything, it’s an evolution,” said the agency responsible for the new design. A spot of sprucing and tweaking has done wonders in bringing the logo up to date and improving legibility; a rebrand needn’t reinvent the wheel.
The Wimbledon brand shares the spotlight each year with its sponsors and partners. In a bid to replicate the success of the Sony Bravia campaign, Sony remade its infamous bouncy ball advert with a suburban wimbledon setting... a clever idea and a strong concept that had the potential to make as much of a splash as the original. Sadly, its impact was compromised by a disappointing execution.
More interesting is the relationship with Robinsons - the humble fruit squash, as much a part of British life as the tournament.
Robinsons’ original barley crystals were the basis of a concoction created and served to Wimbledon players by a visiting medical representative in the 1930s. By 1935 bottled barley water was on the market, and continued to be a regular fixture on the umpire's chair year in, year out. 75 years on, it’s still a winning partnership, but Robinsons hasn't simply sat still all these years, it's continued to develop its offering, producing new products and meeting changing customer needs, which is no doubt pleasing for Wimbledon.
Staying true to its core value, Robinsons continues to align itself with the great British tournament, and sensibly so. Capitalising on the Wimbledon buzz seems to see Robinsons quite comfortably through the rest of the year. Robinsons... the real Wimbledon champions!
