The Best U.S. Open Marketing Isn’t in a Luxury Suite. It’s Free Sunscreen and Phone Chargers
The brands cutting through the tournament’s marketing noise are offering fans something they can actually use.
The top tennis players in the world are converging on New York City for the U.S. Open, the final Grand Slam of the year. The first round starts this Sunday, and main draw matches continue over the next two weeks. More than 1.1 million fans headed out to Queens to attend last year, a record level that the United States Tennis Association said marked a 9 percent increase over 2024. Even more watched from home or followed the action on social media. For the men’s and women’s finals alone, a total of more than 5 million people tuned in.
Brands have taken notice of that massive audience, partnering with players and pushing tennis-ball yellow colors, pleated skirts, courtside treats, and even tennis-themed desserts. When a monoculture moment like this strikes, how do companies ensure their campaigns stand out from the corporate crowd?
Here are five of our favorite marketing moments from the tournament so far.
La Roche-Posay shows up for the fans in the cheap seats
For the tennis world, the summer of influencer backlash touched close to home. Paige Paul, the founder of Dairy Boy and new spouse to American tennis player Tommy Paul, who is currently ranked No. 21 in the world, started beefing with the owner of an antique and craft shop in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
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After that back and forth went viral and resale ticket prices drew outrage from longtime tennis fans, La Roche-Posay deftly shifted the focus away from the suite level crowd. The sunscreen brand, which became an official partner of the U.S. Open in 2022, returned to the tournament to hand out free samples of spf starting during Fan Week, the first week of the tournament when fans can watch qualifying matches and top players practice for free. No celebrity needed.
Dove picks up the tab for women’s tennis fans
Dove, which is also smartly handing out free samples of its deodorant for sweaty fans enduring hot and muggy conditions at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, will be showing up at some bars, too. The personal care brand will be picking up the tab at ten women-owned bars across the country during the women’s final, offering free drinks and food for fans coming out to watch the championship.
Financial companies offer functional freebies
Leave it to the major credit card issuers, which have better insight into consumer habits than most companies, to offer freebies people actually want while enjoying the tennis in person. Chase is providing complimentary mobile chargers, so fans don’t have to worry about their phone batteries during matches. American Express created a “refresh station,” where visitors can pick up free dry shampoo, facial mist, hair ties, and yes, more sunscreen.
Source: www.inc.com
