Sony Ericsson tries to bring ‘glamour’ back to tennis

Pulsating music, psychedelic glow-in-the-dark rallies and A-list celebrities such as Gloria Estefan don’t exactly conjure up images of the genteel game of tennis.

But partying, novelty and celebrity have very much to do with South Florida. That is why Sony Ericsson is spending millions to glam up the two-week combined men’s and women’s Sony Ericsson Open, which begins today in Key Biscayne, near Miami.

In 2005 Sony Ericsson paid $88 million for title sponsorship of the women’s tour. Last year the cellphone manufacturer doled out more than $20 million for the rights to the former Nasdaq-100 tournament through 2010, which it promptly renamed.

Now, it is opening up its coffers again to lure a younger, trendier audience to tennis. The 2007 marketing price tag: About $5 million, company executives say.

“This is all about being hip and cool,” says Dee Dutta, head of global marketing for U.K.-based Sony Ericsson. “Somewhere along the way, tennis became more about backhands and forehands and lost some of its glamour.”

Tennis in the dark with club music — one of this year’s novelties — and other extracurricular activities can lure non-traditional fans and media by creating “cultural relevancy,” says Paul Swangard, managing director of the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. But it doesn’t guarantee any lasting effects.

“It can work at the front end,” he says, “but then, what’s next? What carries this thing forward?”

Sony Ericsson’s recipe includes a dash of celebrity, a pinch of novelty and a large dollop of hope that the combination will create buzz. Among the offerings:

•”Night tennis,” a concept conceived by Sony Ericsson and launched at the tour championships in November, integrates tennis, lights and music. Fans who register at www.night-tennis.com (or www.sonyericsson.com/miami) can watch indoor tennis played by pros using reflective gear under ultraviolet lights while top-name DJs such as Paul Oakenfold spin house beats in downtown Miami.

•Taking a page from the NBA, where stars such as Spike Lee and Jack Nicholson are ready TV targets, the tournament has confirmed celebrities ranging from pop star Estefan to ex-heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis.

They will be around the tournament or in prominent, camera-available seats.

•The tournament will feature on-site fashion shows from designers such as Diane von Furstenberg and Roberto Cavalli, along with themed nights such as fire (pyrotechnics) and South Beach (hot bodies, dancing and costumes).

“Really cool things are going on here,” says ninth-ranked Jelena Jankovic of Serbia. “It makes it exciting for both players and fans.”

David Carter, executive director of the University of California’s Sports Business Institute, says anything that helps an event break out of the clutter of entertainment options is a plus.

“You have to go out of your way to position yourself to create a buzz around your event, especially if you want to tap into a younger, hipper demographic,” Carter says.