Farm League produces an ingenious concept to meld the dynamics of pro-level tennis and music in the Wilson Tennis campaign “Play Your Heart Out.”
Wilson approached Farm League, tasking the Venice-based film company to come up with a fun and inventive way to launch Roger Federer and Wilson Tennis’ all-new Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph racket. Having the opportunity to shoot Federer in Indio, California, Farm League brought legendary music producer Money Mark of Beastie Boys fame into the mix. Together, these two legends created a bass-heavy, foley anthem using the Pro Staff RF 97 racket as the only instrument.
Directed by Charlie McDowell, the Farm League production team built a miniature tennis court in the middle of the Mojave Desert, surrounded by a collection of analog and digital sound recording equipment. Taking advantage of the beauty and acoustics of the surroundings, Farm League plugged a tennis ball machine into a portable generator and asked Federer to have at it. Utilizing both the sounds of the game and a collection of electronic beats derived from the power, accuracy and beauty of Federer’s swing, Money Mark live mixed the original track titled “Play Your Heart Out.”
In the 60-second spot, McDowell wove a visual tapestry of motion and sound by capturing the zip of a tennis bag, the pop of a can of tennis balls, the woosh of tennis balls soaring back and forth. The desert backdrop looked like a tennis court on the moon, creating a compelling juxtaposition as each shot drove the action forward, the ball struck the bass drum and kicked off the 808 boom.
As a special complement to the launch, Farm League designed and arranged for the pressing of limited edition vinyl records of the track. An innovative concept that hooks into the worlds of advertising, music and sports – a limited edition RF 97 box set, including the vinyl, will go on sale worldwide on July 16th. This exclusive kit will be limited to 1,200 units globally. The box set will retail for $597.00 (USD) and includes exclusive keepsakes from the campaign. For more information on the box set, visit: Wilson.com/prostaff.
Farm League’s experienced group of storytellers thrive by working within the increasingly relevant intersection of sports and music, skillfully assisting brands such as Wilson to launch marquee products by tapping into the synergy of those two worlds. Utilizing their creative, production, and post production firepower, Farm League took the project from concept to completion, turning up the volume on Wilson Tennis’ new Pro Staff RF97Autograph racket’s classic tuxedo design with a truly inventive approach.
Watch “Play Your Heart Out” below or on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/VLn7ZlGuYN4
Sonic Branding For Social Media: Engage, Align, Connect
By Chad Cook -- With more than five billion people accessing social media daily, savvy brands understand the importance of cultivating a strong social identity. They devote massive resources toward brand awareness, audience targeting, content strategy and community engagement. Yet, while they know that social platforms are critical to boosting sales and attracting new customers, many neglect one of the most effective tools for connecting with consumers: sonic branding. Marketers often associate sonic branding with catchy mnemonics used by big brands like McDonald’s, Netflix and Intel in their advertising. But that is a very limited view of what sonic branding is and what it can do. Sonic branding is a way to build awareness and stimulate engagement across all touch points, from advertising to broadcast digital, in-person and social. And it’s not limited to members of the Fortune 500. Brands at all levels can benefit from a sonic identity that is memorable, engaging and reflective of its core values. Sound has been scientifically proven to be deeply tied to memory and emotion. There’s a reason that certain songs stick in your head and bring back memories formed years or even decades earlier. So, it’s surprising that sonic branding is often an afterthought in marketing plans. That is especially true in social media marketing. Faced with tight deadlines and strained budgets, creative teams are often tempted to select music for their content simply because it “fits.” Unfortunately, that may result in content that is in tune with what’s trending but is out of tune with brand identity. Effective sonic branding, by contrast, requires thoughtful strategic planning,... Read More