BNP Paribas Mixes Twitter and Tennis for Latest Ad Campaign

French bank, BNP Paribas, has launched its “Tweet and Shoot” campaign.

The campaign will allow the bank’s Twitter followers to help train tennis star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Followers will be able to tweet to Twitter-controlled robots who will hurl tennis balls at Tsonga live on the court. The campaign comes during the lead-up to the French Open, an event that BNP Paribas has sponsored for 40 years.

“I’ve always loved a challenge and when BNP Paribas asked me to take part in a world-first experience to mark its 40-year partnership with Roland Garros, I was immediately intrigued. Being trained by fans on Twitter a few days ahead of the French Open – what a daring challenge,” said Tsonga about the campaign.

“I’m looking forward to taking on the technical prowess of Twitter users. Hopefully, sharing this experience with all these tennis fans will bring me luck for the tournament.”

The event will see Twitter users shoot tennis balls from a Twitter-controlled robot that can send out balls from a variety of angles. Users will be able to choose where the tennis balls go on the court through a drag-and-drop interface found on the web.

Which Twitter users get chosen by the robot will be picked at random. Users interested in taking part in the event can log in at the campaign’s website using their Twitter credentials.

Tsonga’s showdown against Twitter users will come just three days before the French Open. Those interested in seeing how he fairs can livestream the event at the campaign’s website.

The campaign was developed by digital agency We Are Social. We Are Social focuses on ways for companies to best leverage social media for their brand. The firm has worked with brands such as Red Bull, Heinz, ESPN, and Reebok.

The latest We Are Social campaign adds to a long line of unique Twitter advertising campaigns. Last Month, Comedy Central programmed an entire comedy festival using the suggestions of Twitter users. Dunkin’ Donuts also recently leveraged Twitter’s Vine app to promote its latest Iced Coffee treat.