Power Players and Honey Deuces: The Real Grand Slams

Last week, New York was electrified by the US Open. Those lucky enough to attend (and the rest of us via TV or TikTok) watched tennis greats battle on court, saw an astonishing number of celebrity cameos, and witnessed a sea of Honey Deuces consumed.

Though this year’s event seemed to attract more attention and coverage than ever, the US Open has always been a spectacle. It has a cultural gravitas uniquely afforded to a major, annual event in New York – not to mention it coincides with NYFW. Perhaps because it was so well attended by creators, celebrities, and influencers, the tournament was even more pervasive on TikTok than on TV – a counterintuitive format given the nature of the sport. Through these lenses, we saw many themes we think about regularly emerge. And two, in particular, stood out: 1) the power of a character story, and 2) the importance of product quality and execution.

People love to follow people. A few weeks ago, The New York Times proclaimed that “Morgan Riddle Is the Most Famous Woman in Men's Tennis.” For those who are unfamiliar with Riddle, she is a TikTok and Instagram star dating the 8th ranked player on the ATP tour, Taylor Fritz. While she was certainly catapulted into the spotlight by Netflix’s “Break Point,” which follows Fritz and other players on the ATP and WTA tours, she has masterfully leveraged her social presence to accelerate her own career. Not only has she cultivated her own (Gen Z) audience, but her content offers those younger viewers an entrée into the world of professional tennis – exciting a whole new generation about the sport and the perceived lifestyle that comes with it. If there's doubt about her relevance to tennis, look no further than her recent paid advertisements with Grey Goose (the official liquor of the US Open) or her partnership with Wimbledon.

Paige Lorenze, another wildly popular creator, recently started dating Tommy Paul, the 13th ranked player on the ATP tour. Prior to their relationship, she was arguably more well-known than Paul, and she brought a wide (and not-tennis-native) audience to the sport… for free. Her new relationship with the sport (no pun intended) seems to be an exciting springboard for her professional growth as well. She debuted her clothing line, Dairy Boy, with a pop up in NYC complete with vintage racquets and accessories during NYFW and (maybe not-so-coincidentally) the Open.

Distribution will only take you so far; product and strategy need to be superior. Last year, ~400K Honey Deuces were sold at the tournament to the 776K attendees – an extraordinary feat at $22 / glass. In the 17 years since their inception, these drinks have become almost as iconic as the Open itself.

While the cocktail certainly had the advantage of being the official drink of the tournament, its extraordinary popularity is also a product of Grey Goose’s thoughtful formulation; they carefully crafted the beverage to both meet the unique needs of the Open and appeal to spectators. Because the ingredients are simple, the honeydew balls are pre-prepared, and the glasses are intentionally designed, drink assembly and service is highly efficient. With limited time to order drinks before or between the action, the branded bars at the tennis center can work quickly to ensure as many Honey Deuces as possible are sold (and by extension, seen on TV or social media).

In addition to providing a refreshing, fruity respite from the end-of-summer heat, the drink is, importantly, visually distinctive. Its coloration is a striking ombré (translucent to pink), and three, glistening melon balls (that look a lot like tennis balls) sit at the top of the glass. The cup is a collectible and lists all the tournament’s past winners. It’s so pretty and on-theme it’s…downright instagrammable. And, as a result, it marketed and sold itself as US Open attendees posted the recognizable beverage across their socials – and, worth noting, was made all the more desirable by its exclusive availability to those at the event (read: scarce).

The Honey Deuce phenomenon represents the power of a considered and well-executed product, particularly when paired with a strong brand. Its association with the US Open offered immediate, captive customers and distribution, but the quality and appearance of the drink were the linchpins in amplifying sales beyond reasonable expectation.

The US Open may revolve around tennis, but the learnings from it can be more universally applied. Like many sporting events, it provided a public stage for the strategies creators and brands employ to build audience, awareness, and, ultimately, monetization channels. And we think any creator would benefit from considering the principles that guide the highly successful people and products / services associated with it.