The world’s first real vs. virtual tennis match.
In a category defined by tradition, Michelob ULTRA served up something no one expected: John McEnroe facing his fiercest opponent yet, himself.
Broadcast in 52 countries, McEnroe vs. McEnroe put the legend on court against AI versions of his past selves in a fully immersive match that fused motion capture, machine learning, Unreal Engine, mist projection, and four robot-controlled ball launchers, aka the McEnrobots.
The media model broke convention too. Rather than buying airtime, Michelob ULTRA partnered with ESPN, which co-invested in the event, turning branded content into a global broadcast.
The results:
3B+ impressions
$20M+ in earned media
10M live viewers
95% lift in organic search
99% positive social sentiment
By bringing the past and future of tennis face to face, Michelob ULTRA proved once again that it’s only worth it if you enjoy it.