On May 7, Michelob Ultra and ESPN will pit John McEnroe against himself in a tennis match. It will be the first real vs virtual tennis match. McEnroe, now 63, will play against virtual avatars designed by AI and machine learning to look and play like five versions of the younger McEnroe at different stages of his career.
The match may have its confrontational moments. After that is McEnroe’s drawcard now, and Michelob Ultra is “the beer brand that always reminds us to prioritise joy.” The match fits into Michelob Ultra’s ongoing campaign, It’s Only Worth It If You Enjoy It.
“Celebrating the legendary career of John McEnroe – one of the most legendary athletes on the planet – is [a] powerful way to deliver Michelob Ultra’s ethos as a brand,” stated Ricardo Marques, vice-president of marketing at Michelob Ultra US and global. “The goal was to create something that looked and felt like a real tennis match between tennis legend John McEnroe … and John McEnroe. Using cutting-edge technology, Michelob Ultra has challenged John to a match against five different avatars of himself that have been programmed and designed to play and look similarly to how John did throughout his career. With so many memorable moments over the course of his career, we collaborated with John to select ones that felt the most personal to him: 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984 and 1992 — his final year on tour.”
In 1979, McEnroe entered the tennis circuit. In 1981, he became #1 in the world. In 1982, he faced career challenges. In 1984, he made a major comeback. In 1992 when he retired from the game.
“Who wouldn’t want an opportunity to literally be able to look back at where you started and celebrate how much you’ve grown and learned along the way,” McEnroe stated? “I’ve had highs and lows just like everybody else, and what I’ve learned over time is to appreciate the journey. No matter what happens, you have to find time to savor the experience and remember it’s only worth it if you enjoy it.”
McEnroe v McEnroe will be streamed in the US on ESPN+ later this month.
