DAVID LLOYD CLUBS
Pre-Wimbledon summer drive designed to inspire a new generation
OVERVIEW
Ahead of the UK’s biggest tennis event of the year, Henman Sport + Entertainment was tasked with launching a nationwide Pre-Wimbledon Coaching Roadshow to inspire a new generation to pick up a racket and get involved in tennis. Working in partnership with David Lloyd Clubs (DLL), this ambitious campaign brought tennis into local communities through a multi-stop roadshow, timed to maximise public enthusiasm around Wimbledon.
With British tennis star and Sky Sports commentator Mark Petchey as the face of the campaign, we created a hands-on, media-friendly activation that connected school children, club members, and families with tennis in a fun, engaging way — all while delivering national visibility and media impact.
OBJECTIVES
Create national buzz around tennis in the lead-up to Wimbledon.
Drive awareness and participation in tennis across all ages and abilities
Position David Lloyd Clubs as a leader in tennis access and coaching.
Deliver a fully operational roadshow including logistics, stakeholder management, and press engagement.
Secure widespread media coverage across print, online, radio, and TV.
Engage schools and local communities in an inclusive and entertaining campaign.
STRATEGY & EXECUTION
The campaign was designed to capture the energy of the summer tennis season while building grassroots engagement across the country. Our strategy combined live event activation with traditional and digital media outreach to maximise visibility.
We developed a full campaign plan, covering everything from roadshow logistics and ambassador coordination to pre-event media ‘sell-in’ and social media activation. Each event was tailored to the local audience, including on-site participation from DLL tennis professionals, general managers, and local schools. We also coordinated closely with key stakeholders, including REBOwall and national media partners like First News.
Our team provided comprehensive onsite support, managing interviews, press attendance, photo ops, and high-quality video capture at each location. Behind the scenes, we supported David Lloyd’s in-house social team with Twitter activation and compiled full measurement and evaluation reports to assess campaign performance.
KEY COMPONENTS
Media Relations: Pre-event press sell-in and live media management at each stop.
Ambassador Activation: Mark Petchey served as campaign ambassador, conducting interviews and engaging with participants.
Stakeholder Management: Coordination with REBOwall, First News, and all internal DLL stakeholders.
Content Creation: Video showreels, event photography, and media packs to support press and social channels.
Event Operations: Logistics, branding, and scheduling across all venues.
Social Media: Real-time Twitter engagement with support from DLL teams.
RESULTS & IMPACT
The campaign generated impressive results across both traditional and digital media:
98 pieces of editorial coverage.
Featured in: The Guardian, ITV London, BBC London 94.9, TalkSport, City AM, STV Glasgow, Scottish Sun, First News, and more.
Total audience reach: 60,918,094.
Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE): £402,915.
PR value: £1,208,745.
The campaign not only succeeded in driving national media attention but also left a tangible impact at the grassroots level, with increased interest in tennis participation and strong community engagement. The Pre-Wimbledon Coaching Roadshow became a blueprint for how sport can connect, inspire, and grow audiences in creative and meaningful ways.
'David Lloyd Clubs have retained Henman Sport+Entertainment for two PR projects during 2015. On both occasions Henman Sport+Entertainment have generated a very high ROI through a strategic and creative approach to PR. As an agency they are well connected in the national sports and lifestyle media and experienced at managing high-profile celebrities and delivering effective campaigns, often under pressure! We have been very impressed by the results which have created brand awareness for David Lloyd Leisure in the sport and lifestyle national and regional media.'
Anna-Marie Muldowney
PR MANAGER | DAVID LLOYD CLUBS