ST PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) announced today its new global marketing campaign “It Takes”, designed to showcase the spirit, authenticity and diversity that is characteristic of the world’s best tennis players and the iconic WTA tournaments in which they compete.
To help build the campaign, the WTA consulted over 140 players about the driving forces that have formed each of their individual personalities and that resonate most deeply with them as elite athletes, both on and off the court. This process resulted in a series of personally-felt characteristics such as “It Takes HEART”, “It Takes FIGHT”, “It Takes BELIEF” and “It Takes PURPOSE”, to name a few.
Launching across the WTA’s digital channels, social media platforms, Tour events and broadcast, the campaign reflects a bold, clean design that allows the powerful messaging to speak for itself – matched with natural and athletic photography that captures each player’s unique essence.
“Tennis players wear their hearts on their sleeves – day in, day out, through the ups, the downs, and in between,” said Micky Lawler, President of the WTA. “They can be fierce, they can be vulnerable, but these are the very qualities that create a real connection with fans.
"The ‘It Takes’ campaign provides a terrific platform to tell the story of all our athletes and tournaments – the singular and shared traits, which are bound together by a pursuit of excellence and a culture of empowerment.”
Lawler added: “We wanted to provide fans with a glimpse into what it takes our athletes to make it to this incredible stage and then encourage fans to learn more as we dive deeper into their ‘It Takes’ stories throughout the course of this campaign.”
The WTA will expand on the campaign concept with a series of mini-documentary style player features designed to assist the existing loyal fanbase, as well as new audiences, to know the players and tournament experiences better.
“It takes a very special individual to compete at the WTA level and I’m honored to be a part of this group of women who each inspire me every day,” said WTA World No.1 Naomi Osaka.
“Whatever someone’s passion is, tennis or otherwise, I hope our sport encourages every fan to be their true self, seek new challenges, and believe in their ability to succeed.”
The “It Takes” campaign, the first major marketing campaign by the Tour since 2015, will appear in a variety of media including broadcast, print and digital advertisements and will be customized for the unique tournament locations across the WTA’s 29-country calendar.
Fans are invited to join the “It Takes” journey through contests, exclusive tournament experiences and interactive social media programs by following the official campaign and posting their own authentic “It Takes” traits through photos using the hashtag #ItTakesWTA.
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