– Jane Ross
Strawberries and cream. Grass courts. White uniforms. Yellow tennis balls. The Championships.
Few events are as recognizable as Wimbledon. I’ve been watching Wimbledon (and all of the tennis Grand Slams, for that matter) as long as I can remember. My mother, a tennis lover, instilled a deep appreciation for the game in my family. It seemed only right that when my family took a trip to London, my mom found a way to get us to Wimbledon.
The first time I attended, I was preoccupied with catching glimpses of all-star tennis players, while convincing my parents to get me a second serving of strawberries and cream. I was, after all, only five years old at the time. This past year, I was fortunate enough to visit Wimbledon for a second time as a part of my study abroad program, which gave me a more nuanced perspective in comparison to that of my five-year-old self. This time, I was able to speak with the Head of Public Relations of the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club (where Wimbledon is played) to learn more about the year-round preparation for this two-week long event.
I quickly learned that history is at the foundation of Wimbledon’s public relations and communications plans. To embrace its past, Wimbledon focuses intently on legacy and tradition in current day operations. From start to finish, four key traditions are at the center of Wimbledon’s brand.
The Ticket
Though some tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, ‘The Queue’ is the predominant method of ticket purchase. As it turns out, ‘The Queue’ is just a charming British way to say ‘line.’ In practice it means arriving with a tent to Wimbledon Park the night before you want to attend a match, waiting as long as necessary, and hopefully getting your ticket. The ‘Public Ballot,’ introduced in 1924, is a way in which hopeful attendees can apply for a ticket at reduced cost. While other world-class sporting events have adopted online purchasing as a streamlined mode of ticket sales, Wimbledon maintains the Queue and the Public Ballot as central to its selling process. It adds to the intrigue for Brits and other global visitors who want to take a chance on snagging a coveted ticket.
The Treat
If you’re admitted to the grounds, you’ll likely not be able to miss the most iconic Wimbledon treat – strawberries and cream. This is a humble tradition Wimbledon is quite proud of, as evidenced by its prominent placement in promotional materials. First served in 1877, the Tournament now manages to work through 23 tons of strawberries and 7,000 liters of cream every year. The Championships attributes the novelty to the very beginning – strawberries were in season at the time the Tournament was first played, and it was a fashionable delicacy to eat in Victorian England in those days. Equally delicious in 2018, strawberries and cream are yet another example of Wimbledon’s reverence for the historical.
The Dress
Promoting the possibility of grass stains on white tennis outfits seems counterintuitive. However, the official all-white dress code for Wimbledon is a tradition not to be ignored. These standards were also set in the Victorian era, when players wore white because they believed it showed less sweat and was thus more proper. Tennis greats like Serena Williams and Roger Federer have been chastised for not following the rules, and for allowing their brand-sponsorships to creep into their apparel. Wimbledon does not allow for paid sponsorships, making it a challenge for tennis pros to maintain their brand-affiliations.
The Grass
Taking about 15 months to prepare, there would be no iconic Wimbledon without grass. While many other tournaments are played on clay or Har-Tru courts, Wimbledon’s pride is in its unique surface. Court wear, surface hardness, and ball rebound are measured daily. Wimbledon pours endless amounts of time and resources into grass conditions in a steadfast commitment to the first surface the game was ever played on.
Played at the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club since 1877, Wimbledon is the world’s oldest tennis tournament. As part of the longest partnership in sporting goods history, Slazenger has been the official supplier of tennis balls to the tournament since 1902. Standing the test of time, Centre Court was hit by a bomb in 1940 during World War II. These facts individually add interest and value to the event – together, however, they construct a narrative that is perpetuated by the way Wimbledon chooses to maintain traditions and communicate them to the public.
Recently, Wimbledon has been able to integrate tennis tradition with digital innovation through platforms like social media and AI technology to enhance viewers’ experience. These technologies serve as the vehicle to perpetuate the classic, time-honored traditions of Wimbledon and share them with a broader audience.
Wimbledon offers an experience that few sporting events can duplicate, merging unique history, culture, and sport with modern, digital storytelling. Everything that my five-year-old self was preoccupied with is exactly what Wimbledon wants us to experience today – key facets of tennis tradition with a British twist. Eating strawberries and cream, looking for tennis stars in white, all while surrounded with green grass. These images are carefully maintained and cultivated to represent Wimbledon uniquely. These are the images that keep people in the Queue for hours, hoping to score a coveted ticket to one of the most iconic sporting events in the world.