Entertainment Lions For Sport > Branded Content for Sport

ASHE VERSUS

TBWA\HEALTH COLLECTIVE, New York / MODERNA, INC. / 2024

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Overview

Credits

Overview

Why is this work relevant for Sport?

More than an ad, an experience of tennis heritage and passion. "Ashe Versus" ran during one of the biggest cultural events in sports—the US Open—telling the powerful true story of one of the world’s greatest (but little celebrated) heroes, Arthur Ashe, whose name lives on the US Open stadium, but whose life beyond tennis was unknown to millions. Our fast-paced edits and mixed cinematography techniques brought him back to life in a powerful noir look and feel, combined with an original jazz soundtrack that grabbed the attention of fans on screens in-stadium and at home.

Please provide any cultural context that would help the Jury understand any cultural, national or regional nuances applicable to this work.

Racial inclusion in clinical trials is neglected in the US pharmaceutical space. Experts say an ideal scenario involves recruiting 30-40% minority participants to match the population. Still, less than 5% of clinical trial participants are Black or African American, according to the FDA.

Moderna is an unsung leader who was born already ahead of this industry issue; back in 2021, they developed their COVID-19 vaccines for all, with a never-before-seen 37% of minority population participants in trials. They even delayed trial timelines to ensure representation.

Similar to pharmaceutics, there's another area that needs more diversity: professional tennis. Only 9% of Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) players are black.

However, an inspiring transformation is happening in the US. As a result of decades of advocacy from Black athletes and allies, there has been a surge in tennis participation, particularly within diverse groups, with a 5.9 million increase in the last 3 years. People of color now represent 38% of the total US tennis player population (including amateur players), which surprisingly is the same representation of minority participants in Moderna's COVID vaccine trial.

African American tennis players quickly become role models and sports idols, like the Williams sisters and, most recently, Coco Gauff and Frances Tiafoe. But the history of racial equality in tennis goes way back, sparked by an icon that unfortunately is not remembered as he should–Arthur Ashe.

Background

In 2023, the Moderna brand started to lose momentum and presence as US society turned away from COVID-19 pandemic–related topics. The brand needed to carve its own space and relevance in people's lives.

This initiative's goal was to partner with the US Open to increase awareness and openness to Moderna and make the brand relevant by itself, beyond its strong association to COVID-19.

Describe the strategy & insight

Our research into US cultural trends, the Moderna brand, and the US Open identified Moderna's industry leadership in clinical trials diversity as the biggest communication opportunity.

Just like in pharma clinical trials, tennis and the US Open overwhelmingly lack diversity and representation (only 9% of ATP professional players are black) and have historically depended on strong voices that reject "blending in" to push the topic forward.

Going deeper into Moderna's core enterprise segments, we identified that these audiences also index high as tennis fans, sports enthusiasts, and equality supporters, and that they align with Moderna's values of transformation, progress, and inclusion.

Shedding a raw light on Arthur Ashe's story and achievements allowed Moderna to tell a relevant story to the audience while "flexing" one of the brand's biggest strengths, showing up not as an advertiser, but as an enabler of Ashe's legacy and the audience's passion for the sport.

Describe the creative idea

Ashe Versus is about celebrating the transformative power of the change-maker spirit. For the first time, a major brand partnered with Arthur Ashe, one of the greatest sportspeople of all time, the first black champion of the US Open, and an important voice on equality, to bring his legacy to life and in a way never seen before.

It does so by bringing to life a match between a live-action version of Arthur Ashe and animated representations of the opponents and obstacles he had to face during his lifetime. We follow Ashe from segregated tennis courts in Richmond to literally changing the game with his historic US Open victory. Playing against a mist of uncertainty, Ashe battles against apartheid, a heart surgery, and even HIV.

Moderna presents this story as a like-minded brand that also pushes health forward with its change-maker attitude, technology, and industry-defining inclusive approach to clinical trials.

Describe the craft & execution

The Ashe Versus film came to life during the 2023 US Open championship (August 23– September 10) through an ESPN partnership including a TV spot and in-event/in-stadium screen projections. The film was heavily aired during the semifinals (when viewership is highest) and projected during game breaks live in the stadium Jumbotrons and as part of the ESPN break schedule. It was also the main film aired on one "Moderna sponsor takeover" night during the semifinals.

Describe the results

The strategy of partnering with an icon and a major sports event surpassed expectations:

• Boosted openness towards Moderna: led to +7 percentage points brand preference and +70% brand favorability, as measured by lift study

• Record brand reach: The film was seen by ~14 million people within the target audience on linear tv and another ~3 million people on digital properties during the US Open

• Outstanding creative that generated business results: The initiative generated a whopping 4.6X ROI

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