Discovering the International Tennis Hall of Fame's next legends
How MVT turned a local youth clinic into Be Legendary — a global, values-driven program that connects the game's greatest champions with its next generation.
A local program with global ambitions
The International Tennis Hall of Fame's youth outreach program existed as a highly localized initiative that taught young players the basics of the sport. To establish the Hall of Fame as a facilitator of tennis's growth — and to build its own brand notoriety — the ITHF came to MVT with hopes of expanding the program far beyond its Newport, Rhode Island headquarters.
A movement, not a marketing campaign
We designed and launched Be Legendary: a global program that teaches kids aged 10–18 the game of tennis alongside Hall of Fame inductees. Our charge went far beyond marketing — we defined the program's purpose, crafted its identity, and built the long-term strategy connecting the Hall of Fame's legacy to the future of the sport. Through strategic narrative development, stakeholder consultation, and creative planning, MVT established Be Legendary as a values-driven movement centered on the lessons, character, and leadership of the game's greatest champions.
Earned media and reach across the program's inaugural global run.
Are you ready to Be Legendary?
The hero film that introduced the program at the Legends Ball — built on the manifesto, messaging architecture, and visual identity MVT developed to give Be Legendary a distinctive, scalable voice from day one.
Watch the film →Bonding tennis legends with the game's next generation
Our work spanned every stage of the program's development — from the foundational narrative, messaging, and program name to a complete visual identity and communications ecosystem. Working alongside the Hall of Fame and creative partners, MVT developed the program manifesto, messaging architecture, creative toolkit, sponsor materials, lesson plan templates, and a social-first design system that gave Be Legendary a distinctive and scalable identity. Beyond branding, we built an integrated launch strategy spanning public relations, earned media, digital platforms, social media, email communications, and content production — ensuring every touchpoint reinforced a consistent story while giving the Hall of Fame a sustainable framework to grow the program well beyond its inaugural launch.
As strategic lead throughout the engagement, MVT also developed the long-term roadmap for how Be Legendary would come to life across Hall of Fame events, tournaments, and communities around the world: identifying the most impactful Hall of Famers and markets for future activations, creating comprehensive content capture and distribution plans, producing hero storytelling content to introduce the program at the Legends Ball, and leading on-site communications, media relations, and social coverage during key moments. By combining thoughtful brand strategy with integrated execution, MVT helped position Be Legendary as a signature initiative for the International Tennis Hall of Fame — extending the institution's mission beyond celebrating history into actively shaping the future of tennis through education, inspiration, and opportunity.
Turning a curriculum into a multi-staged activation
We envisioned Be Legendary as a stackable series that culminated in a physical moment on-site. Beforehand, participants received a series of assignments and merchandise designed to connect them with tennis and with the visiting Hall of Famers. By the time each legend arrived to guide the activities, the kids were already invested in that player's story through weeks of physical merchandise and cognitive activities. Rather than a one-off day, every live event became a moment with weeks of anticipation built through strategic communications placement.
To cap the year's program, one to two participants from each market were flown to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport — where the winners took part in further activities, met the inductees, and watched the live induction ceremony. Bringing a global program home to a central location proved that Be Legendary is a staple community-outreach platform for the ITHF, and delivered a highly visible sports PR moment for the participating markets and the wider tennis community.
"MVT gave Be Legendary its name, its voice, and its roadmap — turning a Newport clinic into a global program that connects our Hall of Famers with the next generation of the sport."
[Client Name] — [Title], International Tennis Hall of Fame
From local clinic to global platform
The International Tennis Hall of Fame gained significant brand awareness in the tennis community while embedding itself as a steward for the sport. What started as a local program exploded into a global live-event campaign that brought a new stream of consistent PR to the organization. Be Legendary introduced a new dimension to the institution — one that melds a generation of tennis legends with the young fans who will carry the game forward.
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