27/1/2017
It’s January.
And in Australia, that means it’s time for tennis.
Grand Slam, world class tennis. The Australian Open.
Watching the tennis live or on the tele, there’s a few things that spring to mind.
How can they keep up that pace for three or five sets?
It’s exhausting just watching.
How fabulous is Roger Federer each and every time he hits the court?
Why is the scoring like that – 15/30/deuce/game.
(Answer? It’s French – something to do with the hands of a clock)
How good are shots in slow motion?
AND, perhaps more relevant to us…
How amazing are the graphics that explain the very detailed statistics?
Like what day/night temperatures do to Rafael Nadal’s serve?
Where is it that Venus Williams places most of her serves?
And what exactly is a rally hit point comparison?
How well do the Tennis Sponsors use any and every available opportunity to get their message across? Be it on the walls bordering the court, banner ads on the TV screen, or the animated messages courtside. And, of course, in the short breaks between games, sets & match.
Here atSketch Videoswe’ve learnt a lot from the tennis.
Tennis shows us that short messages can be sharp, powerful and memorable.
Just like a Novak Djokovic serve.
You don’t need a lot of time, just a good strategy.
That the unexpected is fabulous.
Just like Mirjana Lucic-Baroni who got her start in 1999 and had to wait 18 more years to reach another grand slam semi-final.
That teamwork makes for a better performance.
One look at the players boxes will assure you of that.
That it’s important to make clear messaging that’s perfectly suited for the purpose and the location.
That Statistics don’t have to be boring.
Eye-catching visuals will always cut through.
And good stories will always move us.
Oh, and faulting at first isn’t the end. You get another attempt at making a winner.