Wimbledon chiefs are poised to defend their distinctive green and purple branding following the release of plans for a Saudi tennis mega-complex featuring a similar colourway. Renders for a National Tennis Centre within Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya giga-project, released in June, depict a central court adorned with foliage and 29 additional courts decked out in a purple and green scheme.
This colourway is similar to the pantone used and trademarked by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which organises the Wimbledon Championships. Usama Al-Qassab, Wimbledon’s marketing and commercial director, commented on the similarities, stating, “imitation is the finest form of flattery.”
Al-Qassab added, “We’re very proud of what our site looks like and our brand. We defend it rigorously and we promote it with great care and attention. The purple and the green you see, and the cross racket logo are part of the Wimbledon equity.” He also noted that these are “just CGI visuals at the moment, and let’s see what turns out.”
Wimbledon holds trademarks for its purple and green colourway in the UK, European Union, and a selection of other jurisdictions, though not with blanket global protection. Al-Qassab affirmed, “We defend many areas of our brands and equity from our font and logos,” and that they protect their brand and stakeholders against “guerrilla activity.”