(By Cameron Coats) If you’re like me and had the U.S. Open on over the weekend, you may have seen NYC’s hottest accessory. Thousands lined up to get one. They’re ugly, exclusive, free, and are universally praised for enhancing the experience. They’re radios.
You wouldn’t find anyone listening to Z100 on them, though. These small, over-one-ear headsets are pre-set for one station on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center carrying live ESPN coverage of each day’s biggest matches.
The catch: the radios are available only to American Express cardholders.
Did I mention they’re ugly? For an event where people dress to impress, it’s a bit jarring to see the big blue AmEx logo’d boxes with huge lanyards hanging from some of the most recognizable people in the world. Of course, American Express is a brand standing on the shoulders of the power of exclusivity and FOMO. (Think elite-members-only airport lounges and celebrity flexes of the fabled Black Card.)
Better still, it shows that AmEx – a celebrity brand – knows and respects the power of radio and when to use it. They bring these earpieces to sporting events around the world, from Wimbledon to F1 races and the other U.S. Open (the golf one). Even if it’s only to one channel, it’s great to see celebrities like Katie Couric, Will Ferrell, and Charlize Theron listening to radio.
This is the 24th year that AmEx has given out radios. The traditional started out of the Center’s rule restricting loudspeakers on the Center’s grounds, the radios provide constant coverage not found elsewhere. With so many people crowded into the Billie Jean King Center, cell data is also no guarantee as so many attempting to access the internet at once.
American Express VP of Experiential Marketing Shiz Suzuki told Fast Company, “Maybe you’re in between matches and you want to know what’s happening somewhere else. You pull out your phone, and perhaps you’re able to pull up ESPN or not, but guess what? That radio is always going to be cranking.”
(Reminds me of a certain piece of legislation that needs passing.)
Radio should take note: AmEx found a strategic move at the U.S. Open that promotes the value and appeal of radio in a digital age. By turning the medium into an exclusive, coveted accessory, American Express underscores our industry’s continued potential to offer and sell unique, immersive experiences that are both relevant and valuable.
It’s about creating a sense of place and moment, making a listener feel part of something larger than themselves – a tactic that can be mirrored in any number of settings. In the end, the ugly radios at the U.S. Open aren’t just about listening to tennis; they’re about experiencing it in a way that only radio can provide.
Cameron Coats is the Online Editor of Radio Ink.
Excellent column. A few years ago we suggested something similar to a sports station we were consulting. It was set to one station and given away to hear the NFL on it. You heard the station 24/7, but our focus and promotion was for Football. It worked. Saw a lot of the pre-tuned radios at games.