Live from the US Open, IBM Datagrams Brings the Action from the Courts Immediately to Instagram

IBM and Ogilvy & Mather use live data to further engage tennis fans on social media

NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today IBM and Ogilvy & Mather launched IBM Datagrams, realtime video animations based on match data from the 2013 US Open Tennis Tournament via the popular photo and video sharing social network Instagram. IBM Datagrams, the first activation of an IBM Sports initiative using Instagram, employs live analytics from the 2013 US Open to help immerse fans, no matter their location, in the action on and off the courts in real-time through social media.

One of the first B2B brands to explore the use of Instagram's new video import capabilities since its launch in August 2013, IBM recognized an opportunity to provide fans with insights by bringing together live data and video to enhance the experience of viewing the US Open, which led to the creation of IBM Datagrams. IBM, Ogilvy & Mather and the production company Buck will be creating video animations using live data from the tournament to give Instagram users behind-the-scenes insights of the matches and the players.

"With big data playing a role in many aspects of sporting events, the power of IBM analytics has helped change the way fans watch and enjoy sports," said Marco Perreira, Worldwide Corporate Advertising Manager for IBM. "Adding Instagram video to the mix opens the door for our brand to bring IBM capabilities to a broader audience. For the first time, we're incorporating live analytics with video and giving tennis fans access to the data behind the tournament's most important matches they can view from any location."

IBM Datagrams will be uploaded for every men's and women's singles match, starting with the Quarterfinals and ending after the Championship Match to IBM's Instagram account @IBMsports. These vibrant posts include video animations built in real time together with the design-driven production company Buck.

"We're creating each of these IBM Datagrams live at the US Open just a few feet away from Arthur Ashe Stadium," said Niels West of Ogilvy & Mather, New York. "Using live data means that when the action on the court shifts, so does our animation."

IBM Datagrams and other photos taken by known Instagram photographers Sam Horine and 13th Witness marks the launch of IBM's presence on Instagram giving the brand a solid footing on this platform.

Topping off IBM's exploration into the intersection of sports and technology at the 2013 US Open is IBM's "Data is a Game Changer" Interactive Wall. This 15-foot touch screen developed by IBM, Ogilvy & Mather and production partner HUSH, gives tennis fans an immersive and engaging way to dive into match data and gain insights into what's happening on the court.

About Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. It was named both the Cannes Lions Network of the Year and the EFFIEs World's Most Effective Agency Network for two consecutive years, 2012 and 2013. The company is comprised of industry leading units in the following disciplines: advertising; public relations and public affairs; branding and identity; shopper and retail marketing; health care communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship marketing; consulting, research and analytics; branded content and entertainment; and specialist communications. O&M services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 500 offices in 126 countries. It is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit http://www.ogilvy.com/, or follow Ogilvy on Twitter at @Ogilvy and on Facebook.com/Ogilvy.

SOURCE Ogilvy & Mather