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The AI-powered tennis match that aired as a prime-time particular on ESPN tops off a shocking awards season for model and company

FCB New York Wins Sports activities Emmy for Michelob ULTRA’s “McEnroe vs McEnroe”

FCB New York and Michelob ULTRA have been awarded the 2023 Sports activities Emmy for Excellent Digital Innovation by the Worldwide Academy of Tv Arts & Sciences for the groundbreaking long-form movie “McEnroe vs McEnroe,” a first-of-its-kind branded AI activation that aired as a prime-time particular on ESPN.

NEW YORK, Could 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FCB New York and Michelob ULTRA have been awarded the 2023 Sports activities Emmy for Excellent Digital Innovation by the Worldwide Academy of Tv Arts & Sciences for the groundbreaking long-form movie “McEnroe vs McEnroe,” a first-of-its-kind branded AI activation that aired as a prime-time particular on ESPN. 

By way of the mix of AI, Unreal Engine MetaHuman know-how, physique monitoring, and a pair of completely synchronized robotic arms, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” turned the primary tennis match in historical past wherein a legend of the game was in a position to tackle youthful variations of himself in actual time. The ultimate outcome was so spectacular that ESPN determined to air it — freed from cost to the model — as an hour-long particular in prime time throughout 52 international locations. With over 10 million views, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” turned one of many most-watched sports activities occasions of the 12 months, besting the 2021 NBA Finals.

This win marks the primary Sports activities Emmy for each Michelob ULTRA and FCB New York, which, all through their multi-year partnership, have been pushing the boundaries of know-how in novel methods to boost the enjoyment of sports activities. Like in 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions made it unimaginable for followers to attend video games in particular person, and so they launched “Courtside,” a platform that allowed followers to attend just about — which included seeing their faces within the stands and chatting with folks of their “part” — by scanning a Michelob ULTRA bottle.

Michelob ULTRA’s distinct positioning round pleasure — doubling down on cultural relevance, grabbing folks’s consideration and reminding them that pleasure isn’t just an afterthought — has helped the model develop to the 2nd-biggest beer within the nation. They’ve achieved this success regardless of relentless class competitors and headwinds for the light-beer class, which has declined 3% to 4% per 12 months since 2013.

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Thus far, “McEnroe vs McEnroe” has earned greater than 120 media placements, with Sports activities Illustrated saying it “may very well be the way forward for sports activities” and Yahoo! praising it for “reinventing sports activities leisure.” Because the launch of this system, natural searches for “Michelob ULTRA” have grown by 95%.

“An thought as bold as ‘McEnroe vs McEnroe’ can solely occur when you’ve gotten that excellent storm of relentless creatives, visionary shoppers and devoted companions — all with a By no means Completed spirit and a shared perception within the energy of creativity as an financial multiplier,” stated Michael Aimette, Chief Inventive Officer of FCB New York.

“We merely can’t thank our shoppers at Michelob ULTRA sufficient for locking arms with us to carry this concept to life, and for all the time proving that ‘it’s solely price it if you happen to take pleasure in it,’” added Emma Armstrong, FCB New York’s CEO.

FCB New York is at present the #1 company on this planet based on the not too long ago launched One Membership World Rankings, in addition to the #1 Inventive Company for Effectiveness as named within the WARC Efficient 100 listing. It was awarded Company of the 12 months by the Clios, in addition to Marketing campaign’s Experiential and B2B Company of the 12 months, and was named to the Contagious Pioneers listing of greatest and bravest companies on this planet.

“McEnroe vs McEnroe” has swept the 2022/2023 promoting awards season, taking dwelling Advert Age’s Tech Innovation of the 12 months, 5 Cannes Lions, 15 Clios, 13 ADC awards and 24 awards at The One Present.

About FCB
FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) is a world, award-winning and built-in advertising and marketing communications firm with a heritage of creativity and success relationship from 1873.

FCB New York has been acknowledged globally for utilizing creativity as an financial multiplier to drive significant enterprise outcomes for its shoppers, amongst them AB InBev, the FDA, MorningStar Farms, New York Mets and Spotify. In 2023 alone, the company was named the #1 company on this planet on The One Membership’s World Rankings, awarded Company of the 12 months by the Clios, honored as WARC’s #1 Inventive Company for Effectiveness, named to Contagious Pioneers’ listing of greatest and bravest companies on this planet, and chosen as Marketing campaign’s Experiential and B2B Company of the 12 months. With greater than 8,000 folks in 109 operations in 80 international locations, FCB is a part of the Interpublic Group of Firms (NYSE: IPG). Go to fcb.com or comply with @FCBglobal and @fcbnewyork on Instagram.

A photograph accompanying this announcement is obtainable at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bad08191-bfbb-4459-b953-11d132d29c8a

CONTACT: Kellie Gleason kellie.gleason@fcb.com