MICHELOB ULTRA
/ MCENROE
VS MCENROE
SCROLL
[EXP]
/ DIGITAL / REAL-TIME VFX
LDN
YIFEI CHAI
UNIT9
_ A match for the ages. A milestone for creative tech. A monumental moment.
We made the impossible real: John McEnroe competing against five versions of his younger self, broadcast live on ESPN. Powered by AI, robotics, and real-time game engines, McEnroe vs McEnroe fused sport, entertainment, and creative technology into a single live event.
“ Never before has a project demanded such a high level of expertise from all departments. Developing bleeding-edge alpha technology in such a short time span and combining them in perfect synchronicity for a live event elevates this project to the peak of technological and creative collaboration ”
DIRECTOR
JAMES MEDCRAFT
MCENROE
MCENROE
[ IMMERSIVE ]
/ DIGITAL / REAL-TIME VFX
LDN
EXECUTION
The world’s first hybrid tennis match, blending live action with real-time digital avatars of John McEnroe from across the decades.
[ REAL-TIME ]
McEnroe played on court in real time while five digitally reconstructed versions of himself responded shot-for-shot. Each avatar was built using AI, motion capture, and archival footage, then reconstructed inside Unreal Engine to reflect distinct eras of McEnroe’s career – from movement and technique to temperament.
[ EXP ]
LDN
GAMEPLAY
A bespoke gameplay system tracked the ball’s speed, spin, and trajectory in milliseconds. That data drove avatar decision-making in real time, creating rallies that felt instinctive, reactive, and unmistakably McEnroe.
Digital swings triggered physical returns. When an avatar struck the ball, it wasn’t a visual trick. Custom-built robotic ball launchers, synced to Unreal’s game logic, fired real tennis balls back across the net – precisely timed and spatially aligned with McEnroe’s live position on court. Every volley was real. Every return was earned.
AVATARS +
PERFORMANCE
[ EXP ]
LDN
[ ERAS ]
Five eras. One personality. We captured McEnroe through high-resolution body scans and live motion capture, then digitally aged and styled each avatar to represent key moments across his career.
Subtle differences in posture, footwork, and emotional response helped distinguish each version – while preserving the unmistakable edge that defines him.
[ EXP ]
LDN
To place McEnroe’s past on the same court as his present, each avatar was projected at full scale onto a mist-based volumetric surface. The result was a spectral, court-sized presence – allowing multiple versions of McEnroe to share the space without screens, cuts, or compositing tricks.
[ EXP ]
LDN
RESULT
We didn’t just visualise legacy. We engineered it.
A world-first sporting event that redefined what’s possible in live entertainment. McEnroe vs McEnroe captured global headlines, drawing millions of viewers on ESPN+ and beyond. It proved how emerging tech can create cultural moments that feel impossible – until they happen.
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CREDITS
Brand
Agency
Platform
Industry
Technology
Kind
Release Date
Michelob ULTRA
FCB New York
TV
Fast Moving Consumer Goods
Food & Beverage
Wine and Spirits
Robotic Arms
Unreal Engine
Live Event
Live Streaming
Motion Capture
2022-05-26