concept / art direction
"A line telling Sharapova's story that turns every wall into a practice net and inspires the next generation of Russian tennis stars."
1. SHARAPOVA'S WALL
While the world's eyes were on the 2014 Winter Olympics, ours were on a neglected wall in Sochi where one of the most iconic tennis players of our time learned to play.
A simple line on a wall that Maria Sharapova hit thousands of balls against when she was a girl, represented not only her first practice net, but also the start of her dream.
2. THE MURAL & OPENING EVENT
We restored the whole court and created a mural telling Sharapova's unique story through the practice line on the wall - a reflection of a little girl's ambition which led to her success as a pro - to inspire the next generation of Russian tennis stars.
Maria came down to open the court herself. Press and social coverage went global, ensuring traction and high visibility amidst the blanket of Winter Olympics communications.
"I lived here as a girl for five years so my tennis memories all come back to this court and this wall." Maria Sharapova
3. THE LINE
To spread the story and inspire more childrento follow in Maria’s footsteps, we printed it on practice tape and gave it to schools across Russia so children could turn every wall into
a practice net, and a possibility.
Line translation:
’’This is more than a line on a wall.
It’s where a little girl hit her first thousand tennis balls. It’s daring to go further. It’s defying the doubters. It’s deciding what you want. Then doing something about it. This is not just a line on a wall. It’s the start of a dream.’’
Mural illustration done by Shotopop