How Brands Can Advertise Around Wimbledon in London

For two weeks each summer, Wimbledon creates a major advertising moment in London. The Championships bring spectators, hospitality guests, international visitors and extensive media attention to SW19, while interest in tennis spreads far beyond the tournament grounds.

The 2027 Championships will run from 28 June to 11 July, giving brands a defined period around which to build activity.

Brands do not need to be an official Wimbledon partner to plan advertising around the wider audience movement and interest generated by the tournament. The opportunity can extend across outdoor advertising, transport media, digital campaigns and carefully selected locations throughout London.

The important distinction is that brands without official rights should avoid implying an association with Wimbledon or using protected tournament branding. Their campaign can instead focus on the audiences, locations and seasonal context surrounding the event.

Start With the Audience You Want to Reach

Wimbledon attracts several valuable audience groups, so the media plan should begin with who matters to the campaign.

Luxury, finance and automotive brands may focus on affluent spectators and hospitality audiences. Travel and tourism businesses can target international visitors. Food, beverage, fashion and retail brands may want broader reach among Londoners following the tournament.

This decision influences where the campaign runs and which media channels deserve the largest share of the budget.

A campaign aimed at spectators travelling to SW19 needs a different geographic plan from one designed to capitalise on tennis interest across London.

Build Visibility Along the Journey to SW19

Transport is one of the clearest opportunities for reaching people travelling to The Championships.

Southfields is around a 15 minute walk from the grounds and is served by the District line. Wimbledon station is around 20 minutes away and connects the District line, South Western Railway and London Trams. Wimbledon Park station is approximately 25 minutes away. Wimbledon also recommends public transport for visitors travelling to the event.

This creates opportunities to plan media around:

1. London Underground stations and journeys
2. Rail routes into Wimbledon
3. Bus advertising
4. Taxi advertising
5. Station and platform media
6. Digital out of home screens

The campaign does not have to begin when spectators arrive in Wimbledon. Brands can consider the entire journey from central London, hotels, transport hubs and commercial districts towards SW19.

Use OOH Around Wimbledon and South West London

Out of home advertising can create a strong local presence during the tournament.

Roadside billboards, digital screens, street furniture and transport media can be selected around Wimbledon, Southfields and surrounding areas according to availability and campaign objectives.

For brands trying to reach event visitors, proximity matters. Media close to stations, hospitality locations and routes towards the grounds can capture audiences when Wimbledon is already relevant to what they are doing that day.

Creative should also account for viewing conditions. A large roadside screen needs a simple message that can be understood quickly, while station or pedestrian environments may allow slightly more information.

Extend the Campaign Into Central London

Wimbledon advertising does not need to stay within SW19.

Many visitors stay, dine, shop and socialise elsewhere in London. Brands seeking broader reach can extend activity into areas such as the West End, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Chelsea and major transport hubs.

This can be particularly relevant for luxury, hospitality, travel, fashion and entertainment brands.

A wider London plan also allows brands to reach people following the tournament without attending in person. The campaign can use the heightened interest around tennis as its timing while selecting locations based on the brand's own audience.

Connect OOH With Digital Advertising

Physical media can establish a presence around the event, while digital advertising gives brands another way to continue the customer journey.

Paid social, display, online video and programmatic media can support the campaign before, during and after the tournament.

For example, a brand could use outdoor advertising around transport routes to build recognition and then use digital channels to promote a product, booking, competition or experience.

Geographic targeting can also help focus digital activity around relevant parts of London without assuming that everyone in those locations is attending Wimbledon.

The strongest plan gives each channel a defined role instead of simply running the same creative everywhere.

Create Activity Around Hospitality

Wimbledon is also an important period for corporate hospitality.

Brands can use the tournament period to strengthen relationships with clients, partners and prospective customers through hospitality and related experiences.

For B2B companies, this can sit within a wider account based marketing strategy. Advertising builds visibility among relevant business audiences, while hospitality creates an opportunity for direct engagement.

Follow up is essential. Invitations and attendance should be connected to CRM activity so businesses can understand whether the event contributed to meetings, opportunities or pipeline.

Plan for International Visitors

Wimbledon has a global audience, which creates opportunities for brands targeting visitors already in London.

Hotels, airlines, tourism businesses, luxury retailers, restaurants and other hospitality brands can plan campaigns around areas where international visitors are likely to travel during their stay.

Airport media can also play a role when the objective is to reach people earlier in their London journey.

The campaign does not need to mention Wimbledon directly. Timing, location and audience targeting can make the activity relevant to the period without suggesting an official relationship with the tournament.

Give Retail and Hospitality Campaigns a Clear Action

For retailers, restaurants and hospitality businesses, Wimbledon can be used to drive people towards physical locations.

A campaign might promote a nearby restaurant, London store, hotel experience or seasonal product. In these cases, the advertising should make the next action simple.

Location, walking distance, booking information, QR codes or a concise offer can help turn awareness into measurable activity.

This is particularly important for short seasonal campaigns. Wimbledon creates a limited window, so audiences should immediately understand what the brand wants them to do.

Start Planning Well Before the Tournament

Wimbledon is a predictable event, which gives advertisers an advantage.

The 2027 Championships take place from 28 June to 11 July, so brands can begin planning locations, formats, creative and digital activity months beforehand.

Early planning becomes particularly important for premium OOH and transport inventory. High demand locations have limited availability, and campaigns involving specialist production or multiple media channels need additional preparation.

A useful planning sequence is to establish the audience and objective first, then identify locations and channels before developing creative for each environment.

Measure More Than Event Visibility

The right measurement depends on what the campaign is designed to achieve.

Brand focused campaigns can consider reach, impressions, awareness and search interest. Retail and hospitality campaigns may track bookings, store visits, website traffic or offer redemptions.

Digital activity can add further signals through landing page visits, conversions and engagement.

B2B campaigns connected to hospitality can measure invited prospects, meetings, qualified opportunities and subsequent pipeline.

Setting these KPIs before the campaign begins makes it easier to determine what the Wimbledon period actually contributed.

Build a Wimbledon Media Plan Around Your Brand

Advertising around Wimbledon works best when the event provides the context for the campaign rather than becoming the entire idea.

Some brands will benefit from concentrating media around Southfields and Wimbledon. Others may find greater value across central London, transport hubs or digital channels. Larger campaigns can combine these environments to reach audiences throughout their time in the city.

Our expert team at Media Agency Group plans integrated campaigns across out of home, digital, transport and other media channels, helping brands identify where and when their audience can be reached during major cultural and sporting moments.

Planning advertising around Wimbledon 2027? Get in touch to discuss locations, media opportunities and campaign planning across London.