In Pursuit of Greatness

Read the campaign story

In Pursuit of Greatness was already active at Wimbledon in 2016. Contemporary coverage documents Space’s arrival and venue communication, while subsequent reporting credits McCann London with the broader platform and describes its 2017 expansion. The family connected tournament identity with the people, preparation and traditions surrounding the competition, rather than treating every annual film as a separate idea.

These sources establish an intended presentation and its applications. They do not show that the campaign independently caused audience growth. The important distinction is between a brand platform, a particular season’s creative and the operational experience visitors actually encounter. This case groups those related expressions while considering how a promise about standards can become understandable before someone watches the central event.

Editorial interpretation: an established event can be famous without being clearly differentiated. Audiences may recognise its name but struggle to explain why its experience matters. Showing the work around the spectacle gives the institution more concrete evidence than a broad claim of excellence. The creative task is to choose details that illuminate a distinctive principle, rather than assembling an attractive collection of traditions with no clear relationship to present-day value.

Editorial interpretation: arrival communication is both persuasive and practical. A station sign, queue display or introductory film can build anticipation while helping visitors orient themselves. Those functions should support each other. When expressive language obscures directions, the promise of care is contradicted by the experience. A small team can study that tension without reproducing a major sporting event or claiming that heritage automatically makes an offer superior.

Translate a value into observable preparation

Choose a specific practice that demonstrates the proposed standard: how information is checked, how a space is prepared or how visitors are welcomed. Explain why that practice matters to the audience. Avoid implying that age, prestige or famous participants prove quality by themselves. The strongest detail connects an internal decision with a benefit someone can recognise during the experience, giving the promise an inspectable basis.

Treat the approach journey as part of the event

Map what a first-time visitor needs before arrival, at entry and while waiting. Identify where reassurance, orientation or context would be useful. Place expressive content where it does not compete with urgent information. A welcoming journey should work for people unfamiliar with the institution’s customs, including those who cannot interpret specialist vocabulary, visual references or assumptions about how regular visitors behave.

Refresh the evidence without multiplying the platform

Keep the underlying principle clear while changing the examples that demonstrate it. Document which elements belong to the shared identity and which are specific to a season. This helps partners produce coherent work without copying previous films. Evaluate whether a new execution adds a meaningful perspective or simply repeats the same claim with different footage and a new date attached.

A small test for another brief

Proposed adaptation: design a fictional community exhibition’s arrival sequence, pairing clear wayfinding with three original illustrations of how the event is prepared.

Measure whether first-time visitors can find the entrance, understand the event’s stated standard and identify one piece of supporting evidence. Compare plain directions with the integrated sequence. Check whether anticipation increases without reducing navigation accuracy, and do not translate preference for a poster into an attendance forecast.

Stop if heritage language excludes newcomers, practical directions become unclear or the preparation story promises standards the event cannot support.

• Use invented venue plans and no public installation.
• Provide accessible text directions alongside illustrated signs.
• Keep essential access information visually dominant.