Looking to take a different approach from video, we set out to develop a multilevel, mobile game, that would capture the attention of competitive teen athletes. Considering the increasingly popular, yet cluttered online gaming environment, we knew it was important to lean into a preferred mobile channel that resonated with teens. With over 60 million daily active 13-24 yr. olds, Snapchat was the perfect platform to engage our target, and with past successes indicated that entertaining, time-relevant, bespoke content, had the potential to drive strong engagement.

Utilizing core social platforms, that resonate with the desired audience, allowed us to tell an integrated and scaled story that leveraged the best capabilities of each platform. Through sponsored Facebook and Instagram carousel ads we were able to showcase the game with various in-game images that were teased across the carousel. Additionally, promoted tweets, from Gatorade and Serena herself, helped to drive further awareness in a timely and relevant manner. While in Snapchat, we leveraged Snap Ads with the “swipe-up” feature to hook our target audience into the gameplay. With focused investment against a three-day takeover in Snapchat ESPN Discover, that coincided with the US Open weekend, we were able to drive timely, relevant scale with our audience.

The game was a hit. Garnering over 395 million impressions and shared by one in every three people that came across it. It was featured in hundreds of publications, ranging in topics from sports to gaming to technology. By challenging the narrative of the platform we were able to do something on Snapchat that had never been done: we got users to stop. Spending over three minutes on our game, 65 times longer than the average. Proving that no matter the medium, everyone has time for a great story.

Serena Williams' Match Point is a first-of-its-kind use of the Snapchat platform. A multi-level game that fit within a single ad unit, while completely disrupting common practice. By hacking our teen audience's most used platform, we were able to create the strongest engagement numbers that both Gatorade and Snapchat have ever seen.

We found Snapchat to be the best suited vehicle to engage teen competitive athletes in an immersive, innovative, and time relevant environment. Utilizing the platform's strong teen penetration, ESPN discover partnership, and it's "swipe-up" to web view capability (which was key to the game functionality and experience) we were able to serve our target audience real-time content that encouraged engagement beyond the platform's expectations. And to drive additional awareness and excitement, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were also selected, as they have proven to be both efficient and effective channels to engage with this specific audience.

In previous years, Gatorade has celebrated some of the biggest moments in athletic history by using long form film. Telling the stories of our athlete's journeys to drive long-term brand appreciation and association with the greatest moments in sports. So, when Serena Williams headed into last year's US Open with a chance to break the all-time Grand Slam record, we had another incredible story to tell. However, we wanted to explore a more innovative way to bring it to life, while also engaging our target audience of young competitive athletes.