George P Johnson x Yonex Australian Open 2026
THE CHALLENGE
In partnership with long-standing agency partner George P Johnson (GPJ),
DisplayWise was engaged to deliver a series of experiential brand
activations for Yonex, the official stringing partner of the 2026 Australian
Open. This year, GPJ wanted to continue to build on its strong legacy of
immersive fan engagement, expanding its presence across two key
activation zones within and beyond the tournament precinct.
The 2026 program was designed to deepen fan connection through interactive, education-led experiences that brought Yonex’s performance story to life both on and off the court. The brief called for the delivery of two custom built structures that formed a multi-touchpoint activation strategy capable of engaging audiences of all ages across varied environments.
These included two key brand activations:
- A high-impact pop up on Lonsdale Street used at the Players Lounge
- Showcourt 3 was an interactive traditional inspired Japanese Sebonbiki
game
Each space exhibited distinct functional, technical, and spatial requirements which presented numerous challenges. The main goal was to maintain brand consistency across multiple locations, deliver durable, high- performance builds in high-traffic public settings, and seamlessly integrate interactive technology within complex custom structures—all while meeting the Australian Open’s strict operational timelines and compliance requirements.
CLIENT | GEORGE P JOHNSON X YONEX |
|---|---|
SERVICE | BRAND ACTIVATION |
LOCATION | AUSTRALIAN OPEN, MELBOURNE |
DATE | JANUARY 2026 |
THE SOLUTION
Supplied with the creative direction from GPJ, DisplayWise delivered two immersive activations that combined play, education, and fan engagement for the 2026 Australian Open. On Court 3, our team constructed the Senbonbiki-style game of “Choose the Right Strings for Your Racquet” which challenged fans’ timing, precision, and decision-making. Visitors were invited to try their luck to win prizes and translate technical product knowledge into fun, hands-on interaction.
“Senbonbiki” is a traditional Japanese festival (matsuri) game, often described as a “thousand-string draw” or lottery, where players pull strings to win various prizes. This activation was also symbolic to the brand as Yonex is a Japanese sports equipment manufacturing company. This clever and traditional game choice would pay homage to the brand’s heritage while leaning into gamification to drive brand engagement alongside showcasing their latest tennis and badminton gear. The installation was also engineered to perform reliably in a high-traffic, outdoor environment while maintaining seamless integration with the gaming experience.
Beyond the precinct, the Lonsdale Street pop up transformed a vacant site into a premium, high-traffic retail environment. High-impact LED solutions and precise build execution brought the excitement of the Australian Open to the heart of Melbourne, creating an engaging space for fans to explore Yonex products and insights.
Across both activations, attention to detail, structural integrity, and brand consistency were paramount. Each element functioned seamlessly on its own while contributing to a cohesive, engaging narrative that showcased Yonex’s innovation, performance, and connection to fans both inside and beyond the tournament.
THE RESULT
By combining interactive games and a city-centre pop up, our collaboration with GPJ successfully delivered a cohesive, engaging brand experience across multiple touchpoints for their client. DisplayWise’s precision execution and attention to detail ensured both activations performed as creatively intended, strengthening fan connection and reinforcing Yonex’s position at the forefront of tennis innovation and high-performance sport.
The Court 3 activations proved highly successful, with the digital quiz attracting 11,048 total entries. Fans engaged enthusiastically, with 1,074 repeat submissions averaging 2.4 entries per participant.
Player popularity insights highlighted strong engagement across both men’s and women’s tennis: Naomi Osaka (38.7%) and Nick Kyrgios (27.9%) topped the leaderboard, while other fan favourites including Elena Rybakina, Casper Ruud, and Jasmine Paolini also featured prominently.
The audience was broadly representative, with a nearly even gender split (51% female, 46.8% male) and strong participation from the 30–44 age group (37.9%), reflecting the activation’s wide appeal to both young fans and established tennis enthusiasts.
Inspired from the Yonex Australian Open experience?