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The Youth Lab

SERVING CONSISTENCY.

How the world's strongest brands stay relevant without losing themselves.

Most brands spend their time asking what should change. Wimbledon has spent 150 years asking what shouldn't, and how do you make the same traditions matter to every new generation? Next summer, the champagne corks will fly again. Players will compete in white, fans will queue overnight and Centre Court will remain the centre of the spectacle. The rituals have barely changed. Almost everything surrounding them has.

In this week’s 52INSIGHTS, we explore how Wimbledon has kept 150 years of tradition relevant by continually evolving the ways new generations discover, experience and share the Championships.

THE RALLY

Ten years ago, you might've only ever heard of Wimbledon through broadcast channels - queue this year's tournament and discovery looks a lot different. Creator content has helped Wimbledon move beyond sports coverage and into the wider entertainment and cultural sphere. A - List celebrities in the Royal Box turn spectators into part of the spectacle (shared through serialized “Who did you spot?” content), while formats such as Overheard at Wimbledon focus on the atmosphere and personalities surrounding the competition rather than the tennis alone.

And for the diehard tennis fans? AI-powered highlights are offered up for those who wish to dive deeper into the spectacle. This year's championship even catered for younger and younger audiences, with gaming experiences like Wimbledon Up and Roblox introducing kids to the Championships, long before they understand the competition itself. Each innovation offers another invitation to experience Wimbledon, while being considerate in preserving its identity.

As Chris Clements, Senior Manager of Digital Strategy and Products at the All England Club, puts it:

"As an organisation with heritage at its core, …. It's vital we ensure we evolve as the world around us changes."

PICK YOUR DOUBLES PARTNER CAREFULLY

While many global events maximise the number and visibility of sponsors, Wimbledon takes a more controlled approach. The All England Club doesn't simply sell sponsorships; it builds long-term Official Partnerships with brands that actively strengthen the experience: Rolex keeps official time, Slazenger supplies the tennis balls, IBM powers the digital experience, Evian keeps everyone hydrated, and bottles of Lanson are at hand for the celebrations.

Together, these sponsorships reinforce the same Wimbledon, whether you encounter it through Centre Court, creator content, collab posts with other premium organisations, such as F1 or clips of champagne corks popping in the crowd. The best partnerships don't compete for visibility, they help tell the same story. The same applies when choosing content creators for your brand.

Although that flying Lanson cork certainly stole the show.

PLAY THE LONG GAME

The key is that Wimbledon doesn't ask each generation to embrace a new Wimbledon; it has found new ways for each generation to embrace the same one. Brands grow by building and protecting distinctive assets, the colours, shapes, symbols and rituals that make them instantly recognisable. The stronger those assets become, the easier a brand is to remember. But, in the pursuit of relevance, some heritage brands replace their recognisable assets. Jaguar's 2024 rebrand generated loads of attention but also suffered from backlash by consumers who questioned whether it still felt like Jaguar. Whether that strategy succeeds commercially remains to be seen, but it highlights the risk of confusing reinvention with relevance. The Championships feel timeless because they preserved their core assets early and innovated around them.

MATCH POINT - BRAND TAKEOUTS

Wimbledon shows that consistency does not have to mean standing still. The strongest heritage brands protect what makes them distinctive while continually evolving how people encounter and participate in their world.

Create More Ways In
Not every young person engaging with Wimbledon is a diehard tennis fan. Creators, fashion, gaming and behind-the-scenes content bring new opportunities to capture attention and bring fan love.

Fandom is Made in the Tramlines
One live experience can now produce dozens of cultural and social moments. The match may create the occasion, but the outfits, reactions, conversations and crowd moments keep it moving online.

Choose Partners That Add to the World
The strongest partnerships provide more than reach or visibility. They reinforce the brand’s identity, improve the audience experience and help it enter new spaces credibly.

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