Situation

In Brazil, football dominates the cultural landscape. Many children begin their athletic journeys on the numerous "terrões" scattered throughout the country. These dirt soccer fields represent a deeply ingrained aspect of Brazilian culture, transcending social class boundaries. However, Renault Brazil, as the premium sponsor of Roland Garros, aimed to elevate the popularity of tennis in a nation where football reigns supreme.

Brief

Leverage Renault's global sponsorship of Roland Garros and further democratize tennis, which remains a highly elitist sport in Brazil. Renault also aimed to establish a stronger connection between Brazilians and the brand by demonstrating that tennis can be as accessible and enjoyable to play as football, the country's most popular sport.

Objectives

Establish Renault as a socially responsible brand by fostering the future of tennis in Brazil. Enhance visibility and engagement with the Roland-Garros sponsorship and Give me 5 social sports driven projects locally.

The creative idea behind Renault's initiative was to leverage the iconic "terrões" dirt fields, deeply rooted in Brazilian football culture, and transform them into clay tennis courts, thus democratizing tennis and promoting inclusivity within Brazil's sporting landscape. This innovative approach not only repurposed existing public spaces but also challenged societal perceptions of tennis as an elitist sport. To earn attention from the target audience, Renault strategically engaged with local communities, offering free tennis classes and involving Brazilian tennis legend Fernando Meligeni. By showcasing the project's impact on underserved communities and highlighting the accessibility and inclusivity of tennis, Renault effectively captured the attention of children, families, sports enthusiasts, and potential car buyers. Furthermore, by aligning the initiative with its global sponsorship of Roland Garros, Renault amplified its reach and visibility, garnering media attention and enhancing its reputation as a socially responsible brand committed to driving positive change in Brazil.

The PR strategy aimed to position Renault as a leader in promoting accessible and inclusive sports opportunities in Brazil, generating awareness, positive sentiment, and favorable perceptions among key stakeholders and the general public.

Emphasizing the transformation of "terrões" into tennis courts and the impact on local communities, highlighting the initiative's alignment with Brazilian culture and societal needs.

Engaging with sports media outlets, local newspapers, and online platforms to secure coverage of the project, showcasing Renault's commitment to democratizing tennis and promoting inclusivity.

Collaborating with local sports influencers, including Fernando Meligeni, to amplify the project's reach and credibility within the sports community.

Organizing events and activities, such as free tennis classes and community tournaments, to foster direct interaction with local residents and generate positive word-of-mouth and community engagement.

The activation began at the perfect time: it was launched on the same weekend that Roland Garros started, and sports media presenters and personalities were invited to watch the games and cover the events. Following that, Fernando Meligeni, a Brazilian Roland Garros semifinalist, assisted us and the crew in building, drawing, and ensuring that the courts inside the dirt fields were in the right proportions. He even gave lessons and played with the kids. The project is being extended to other regions of Brazil, particularly near Borda do Campo, where the Renault factory is located.

From August (launch of Terrão) until the end of 2023, Renault was 4x more associated with the sport than main competitor Kia, which sponsors the Rio Open tennis event.

And it doesn't stop there, Renault was also the brand most associated with sports than its main competitors, which also have some association with the sports territory, such as Ford, Jeep, Hyundai and Chevrolet.

Prints: 120.5M

-Views: 50.4M

-Our engagement rate was 2.09%, higher than the average for our organic content (0.7pts above)

-Quality of experience and interaction:

On YouTube, where our biggest campaign efforts were concentrated, organic comments were 94% healthy, with praise and congratulations for Renault's initiative with Terrão.