‘Shot of the Night’ by Oppo Highlight of Smartphone Brand’s Activations for Roland-Garros, 2020

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Marketing | October 16, 2020 | News

Oppo Roland-Garros, 2020

In the second year of its partnership with the Roland-Garros (French Open) tournament, Oppo, the Parisian Grand Slam’s first premium smartphone sponsor, secured a landmark of its own with the Roland-Garros 2020 exclusive night experience, featuring French star Gaël Monfils.

The inspiration behind the key brand activation was the addition of floodlights on select courts to allow for evening play. Channelling the crossover of technology and tennis, Oppo worked with the French Tennis Federation to produce a special and exclusive experience: ‘Shot of the Night by Oppo’.

Additional on-site activities during the event included the Oppo booth, the Oppo Photo Gallery shot entirely on the Find X2 Pro by official photographers, as well as a 5G video call between Tournament Director and former world No. 3 player Guy Forget and junior players around the world.

The theme for this year’s tennis campaign, ‘Define the Ultimate’, was selected to reflect the pursuit of perfection shared by athletes competing at Roland-Garros and its similarity to Oppo’s approach towards its devices and services, while encouraging fans to take extraordinary shots of their own.

“From the exclusive sunset experience on the Parisian clay courts to the 5G connections we were able to make remotely with junior athletes, Oppo’s work this year with Roland-Garros demonstrates how the link between tennis and technology can be used to empower champions today and in the future,” said Gregor Almassy, Overseas CMO, Oppo.

Michael Tonge, Director of Partnerships, Hospitality and Ticketing at Roland-Garros, said, “Since our first discussions with Oppo, we knew that a key element of the partnership would be creative innovative experiences for fans. Having successfully launched ‘Shot of the Day by Oppo’ in 2019, the ‘Shot of the Night’ concept is the logical next step, which will put Oppo’s technological expertise, using the Find X2 Pro smartphone, at the heart of a unique night-time experience for some very lucky tennis fans. It is also perfect timing for Roland-Garros 2020, as we have installed floodlights on 12 courts to avoid match interruptions due to poor light which has been crucial, given the autumnal dates of this year’s tournament.”

On the eve of the Men’s Singles Final, the impressive Simonne-Mathieu court was plunged into darkness – except for a single spotlight on Gael Monfils. With Monfils’ first serve, the court erupted in a choreographed explosion of light. A small number of selected fans and guests were treated to a light show while players plugged their Find X2 Pro handsets into a charging station, and the 38-minute countdown began as the phones were charging. Some lucky guests also got an on-court playing experience with Monfils and tennis freestyler Stefan Bojic. The courtside lights were sensor-activated, dynamically adjusting based on points scored by the players.

Gael Monfils commented “It’s always stressful to have to finish my matches before it gets dark at Roland-Garros. With ‘Shot of the Night’, I was able to take my time to enjoy and share this unique night tennis experience with the fans.”

Photographs and video of the experience were captured by Oppo’s flagship Find X2 Pro. Hosting the event at night showcased some of the handset’s key features, including stable night shots, superfast sharing of content thanks to the stadium combined with the device’s 5G connection and notably, SuperVOOC charging. The court play lasted 38 minutes, representing the time it takes a Find X2 Pro to fully charge its battery.

As the title sponsor of the tournament’s Junior Wild Card series, Oppo also ensured that the youth who were unable to compete in person still had an opportunity to feel the vibrant energy of the event.

The partnership with Roland-Garros is a cornerstone of Oppo’s global expansion strategy. The brand has also signed partnerships with Wimbledon, where it is the Championship’s first-ever Asian sponsor and smartphone sponsor. Additionally, Oppo maintains a five-year partnership with FC Barcelona, which is the longest partnership between a Chinese brand and a European football club to date. Oppo’s most recent tie-ups include the 2019 signing with the League of Legends e-sports championship series, as well as the 2020 edition of the Boston Marathon.