Case Study: Head Radical Launch
Working with top tennis star Andy Murray OBE and putting video at the heart of its campaign, Radiator and the team at Head Tennis and multi-media store Pro:Direct successfully launched a new and innovative ‘Radical’ racquet range last November.
Campaign: Head Radical Launch
Client: Head Tennis
PR Team: Radiator
Timing: 20 September – 20 November 2015
Budget: £12,000
Objectives
Radiator was briefed to devise a communications strategy for the latest HEAD GrapheneTM XT Radical racquet launch; ultimately the agency’s task was to build awareness for the new racquet using an approach that would drive maximum awareness both nationally and internationally.
Strategy
The launch approach had to be original and eye-catching – engaging the maximum numbers of tennis and non-tennis fans alike, while representing Head Tennis in an entertaining and youthful style.
With a short time-frame to prepare, the sports and entertainment teams worked on creating an efficient, but wide-reaching, communications tool-box. The campaign was mainly driven through short lead print and social media.
The teams focused on three main tactics:
- Developing a piece of highly shareable film content.
- A launch event designed to attract large circulation online and print media.
- A selected number of exclusive interviews with Andy Murray across a range of international and sport specialist media.
The short film, filmed in Lodnon, captured the radical nature of the new racquets and put Andy at the heart of the action. Radiator worked with Asylum Films to shoot and edit in 24 hours, making a piece of shareable content which not only championed the racquet but also presented Andy in a different light.
Radiator negotiated for the film to be shared in all interview pieces, through connected influencers attending the event, and via Andy’s powerful social media channels.
The launch event, organised between Pro:Direct, Radiator and Head Tennis, continued the radical theme. Pro:Direct kicked off the evening with a sensory three dimensional light, video and music show highlighting the new racquet and its strong technical and graphic features.
Following a Q&A stage session hosted by Gordon Smart, a former The Sun showbiz editor and the editor of The Scottish Sun, a series of interviews took place in a private branded space with Andy Murray as well as Johan Eliasch, the CEO of Head Tennis.
Results
The launch event was covered in all of the high circulation national print media including The Sun and the Daily Mail. To date, coverage has been combined between online and print media, including numerous shares on social channels, secured across a variety of target media publications including ESPN, Daily Mail, MailOnline, Daily Telegraph, Sport Magazine, Tennishead and Gazetta Dello Sport.
With more than two million views for the video piece on social media, the impact of the racquet launch event and media coverage surpassed client expectations and further secured Head’s’ identity as a trail blazer in the world of tennis innovation.
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