Case
Study
Highlighted by a high-profile event in New York City featuring Maria Sharapova, ION developed and produced a national, multi-year program designed to introduce and educate consumers about Canon’s latest product lines. The program included Center Court, a massive interactive tennis and photo experience in a 50’ dome activating around the US Open, a PR kickoff, a consumer-focused stunt, and CSR elements.
Around Center Court program alone:
150,000
on-site photos
175,000
sweepstakes entries
400M
impressions


Objectives
- Create an engaging platform to support the launch of the new Powershot line
- Position Maria Sharapova as both an on- and off-the court-personality showcasing her non-tennis interests
- Showcase the technology and ease of use of Canon’s latest camera and printer lines
- Drive significant PR coverage and traffic to .com and local retail partners
- Create programming that allows Canon’s sales teams to spend time with key retail partners
Solutions
- Sponsorships of strategically selected US tennis tournaments, including the US Open, NASDAQ-100 Open and Pacific Life Open
- Production and management of Canon Center Court, an interactive tennis & photography experience inside a 50’ dome
- Consumer promo: “Maria’s Diamond Collection Sweepstakes”
- PR kickoff event unveiling Maria Sharapova’s Diamond Collection and Canon’s Joy Of Photography experience
- Fleet of Maria Sharapova look-a-likes canvassed NYC posing for photos with commuters/tourists
- PR-focused youth clinics giving students a chance to learn from pros
