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Roland-Garros

The French Open tournament is not only iconic, it's magic. And so is their music. It amplifies the competition’s spirit, its French heritage, and the beauty of a very unique sports event. Research proves it: this Roland-Garros sonic identity boosts fan engagement and leaves a lasting "earprint" across all event experiences.

Sophie Alexandre

Marketing & Communication Director

It's giving us great pride to be the first in the world of sporting brands to create an audio tool as powerful as our voice- embodies to our brand image and values. We love it. Players love it, just as much as the audience.

We’ve never seen Nadal so  emotional

Challenge

In 2013, the French Open CMO was tired of using the same generic music as every other sports brand. He wanted this iconic tournament to have its own distinctive sound, its own music earprint.

The goal? To bring the Roland-Garros sonic identity to life, amplifying the in-stadium experience and capturing the intrigue, magic, and fierce competition of the event. From players to spectators to the media, the sound had to set the tone before, during, and after the matches. To infuse the music with the essence of Paris and the Latin roots of Roland-Garros, the tournament turned to Sixième Son.

Sonic concept

This Roland-Garros sonic identity embodies the French Open’s values: surpassing oneself, passion, sincerity. It is unusual and surprising blend of epic, latin and luxury sonic vocabulary. Sixieme Son is in charge of all the RG sounds, to enrich the experience. All the moments and areas of the stadium are covered: the village’s festive spaces, public entrances, the courts, the official store, the parking lot. The consistant musical selection is enriched each year.

Outcome

The French Open was the first sport brand to ever be rewarded by a gold award for Sonic Branding*. It’s sonic ecosystem is enriched every year and highlights every key moment of the tournament. It extends and amplifies the magic of Roland-Garros, boosts people’s imagination to bring out emotion, and contributes to leaving a lasting “earprint”.

*Gold for Sonic Branding at Strategies Grand Prix

Client lead

  • Anaïs Roussin Marketing & Communication Director chez Fédération Française de Tennis
  • Daphné Muller Manager Studio Graphique et Responsable de Fabrication
  • Emmanuel Bouscasse Directeur de la communication

Agency

  • Michael Boumendil President & Chief Creative Director
  • Laurent Cochini Managing Director
  • Vincent Turbé Group Creative Director
  • Eric Caissy Senior Designer & Chief Orchestrator
  • Marion Combes Chief Creative Strategist
  • Pierre Moreau Creative