Wimbledon 2026: Notables
Once again, my compatriot ended up on top - greatness is greatness.
(Jannik, now US Open please. And Kimi, few more wins and then the ultimate prize at Abu Dhabi, ok?)
Visually, it was an interesting event - and here are my most notables.
1. Kudos for having assigned exclusive sponsor rights for Center Court’s backboards to the Fullgreen Corporation - whose brand positioning I believe is “What You See is Our Promise”. BNP Paribas, ponder and learn restraint.
2. I disliked the butterfly commercial with a passion: beautifully shot, mind you, but 60 seconds of following Holly (that is, Holly Blue / Celastrina Argiolus) was frankly too much for me. But the inspiration is cool: Henri Leconte in 1986, when he let a butterfly hop on his racket and gently accompany her off the court. And I guess they caged Rufus the Hawk for the duration?
3. You know we-cool-branders always divide two logos in a joint relationship with a thin vertical line? Well, genius that Polo used 'Official Outfitter' to do so.
4. Kudos to VCCP & Black Kite & Girl&Bear for creating gorgeous visual effects in promotions.
5. AELTC, listen: you take $125MM in sponsorships, $320MM in TV broadcast rights, $75MM in ticket sales. As to the players, you generously give them $85MM in prize money but only two measly chairs (I know, tradition, the RGE Group’s “green chairs”, ~$40/each); well, please ask them to build the same but as a long bench - the players’ stuff overflowing all over the place is unsightly.
6. That decorative scroll reminds me of what was in those books we'd use in the 1980s to copy from – IYKYK.
7. Using the logo for the O is beyond pedestrian, and Number 1 Donts’ in Corporate Identity 1.01.
8. Kudos to British illustrator Nathalie Lees for the retro poster, I love it.
And finally,
9. It's August 1975 in Rome, and with six other friends we get in two cars and drive to Paris and London and Scotland then to the ferry to Amsterdam and back down home. In London, being huge tennis fans we visit Wimbledon and ask to take a walk, someone says Yes. Wonder a bit, literally nobody is around; get inside Center Court and ... well, that small green sign is still in my living room (which reminds me: one of these days I'll have to pay a visit to the Reflecting Pool in D.C.).
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