Oppo celebrates the return of Wimbledon with new 'Courting the Color' campaign

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Smartphone brand Oppo has partnered with Wimbledon to bring "new meaning to historic moments in tennis"

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The first African American woman to win Wimbledon, Althea Gibson is pictured in full colour, leaving the court with her compatriot Darlene Hard after a hard-fought battle on the court. Using one billion colours, the image, originally in black and white, brings new life to a true icon and leader, who never accepted no as an answer in life and was constantly striving to show she deserved her place on the court, regardless of her skin tone. (Image credit: AELTC)

As Wimbledon's official smartphone partner, Oppo is celebrating the return of tennis through the launch of the new campaign, 'Courting the Color'. Partnering with Getty Images, Oppo has recolorized old iconic tennis photos to help retell the stories behind each amazing shot. 

These images were unveiled at an intimate workshop in London, with Kevin Cho, Managing Director of Oppo UK and Mick Desmond, Commercial & Media Director of The All England Lawn Tennis Club in attendance with other distinguished panelists, including tennis legend Greg Rusedski.

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This panel unpacked themes within the collection, which covers pivotal moments during tennis history regarding race, gender and fashion. Meanwhile, the workshop also gave attendees the opportunity to grab a hands-on experience with the Oppo Find X3 Pro, Oppo's flagship product of the year. 

A team of experts from Getty Images used Oppo's imaging advantages to tirelessly restore a range of seven images, including shots of the first African American athletes to win Wimbledon, Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe. 

Meanwhile, photographs of Suzanne Lenglen, Helen Jacobs and Fred Perry showcase how these cultural icons fought for their identity and beliefs through their changing fashion both on and off the court.

Tennis legend Greg Rusedski said, “The return of tennis is to be celebrated, and what better way than to explore the iconic moments that have made the sport what it is today. The craftsmanship of the Courting the Color collection made the images, some 80+ years’ old, seem like they were taken just yesterday, portraying them through an unseen lens and reigniting important conversations.”

Meanwhile, Gregor Almassy, Overseas CMO for OPPO commented, “As a partner of Wimbledon for the last three years, OPPO has long been moved by the spirit of the sport and recognise that the tournaments, players, and fans have been hit hard by the pandemic. By refocusing on the essence of tennis we hope to give fans a deeper connection to the sport, and in doing so, encourage fans around the world to play with heart. Where better to do so than the foundational pillar to the sport, Wimbledon.”

Discover more about the Courting the Color collection at the official Oppo website. 

Oppo

Helen Jacobs is pictured at Roland Garros where, in 1934 she changed the face of fashion, being the first woman to wear shorts on the court instead of a dress. Reimagined using one billion colours, in partnership with Getty Images, the image is part of OPPO’s Courting the Color campaign.  (Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Oppo

Fashion pioneer Suzanne Lenglen is pictured alongside Elizabeth Ryan; one of the earliest images to surface portraying female tennis players athletically. Lenglen became a female icon before her time, through her passion, brought to life for the first time in full color, as part of OPPO’s Courting the Colour campaign. (Image credit: L. Blandford/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Oppo

The first African American man to win Wimbledon, Arthur Ashe is pictured in 1957 alongside compatriot Jimmy Connors in full color. Using one billion colors, the image, originally in black and white, brings new life to the relentless resilience Arthur showed in the face of the societal injustices of his time. (Image credit: Keystone/Getty Images)

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Louise Carey
Louise Carey

With over a decade of photographic experience, Louise arms Digital Camera World with a wealth of knowledge on photographic technique and know-how – something at which she is so adept that she's delivered workshops for the likes of ITV and Sue Ryder. Louise also brings years of experience as both a web and print journalist, having served as features editor for Practical Photography magazine and contributing photography tutorials and camera analysis to titles including Digital Camera Magazine and  Digital Photographer. Louise currently shoots with the Fujifilm X-T200 and the Nikon D800, capturing self-portraits and still life images, and is DCW's ecommerce editor, meaning that she knows good camera, lens and laptop deals when she sees them.