Butterfly "The Art of Table Tennis - A Tribute to Timo Boll"

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

We transformed Timo Boll's original table tennis rackets into hand-carved linocut artworks, turning his 30-year career into a lasting monument. Each racket became a printing plate for fine art prints, ads, and a commemorative brochure – elevating Butterfly's farewell from campaign to cultural artifact.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

This project redefines fan engagement by treating fans not as an audience to message, but as collectors of cultural artifacts worth preserving.

Traditional sports marketing celebrates athletes through temporary campaigns – social posts, ads, commercials that fade when the buzz dies. We created something fans could own forever: hand-carved art prints that immortalize Timo Boll's greatest moments. When all prints and merchandise sold out within 48 hours, fans weren't just buying memorabilia – they were securing pieces of table tennis history.

The Berlin Art Week exhibition transformed passive spectators into active participants in preserving sporting legacy. Fans traveled from across Germany and abroad not to watch content, but to experience craft. Two original rackets auctioned for charity turned engagement into tangible impact for the next generation of athletes.

Social conversation shifted from nostalgia to craftsmanship – posts across Butterfly's and Timo Boll's channels sparked discussions about the intersection of sport, art, and legacy.

This sets a new benchmark: engagement doesn't end when campaigns end. By elevating sport into enduring art, we proved brands can create cultural artifacts that fans treasure permanently – transforming fleeting moments into lasting monuments.

Objective

After 30 years at the top, Timo Boll was ending his legendary career. His longtime partner Butterfly wanted to honor him in a special way.

Strategy & Execution

Farewells fade. Legacies endure. We didn’t want Butterfly to get lost in the media noise surrounding Timo Boll’s  Our goal was to create something worthy of his life’s work: precise, enduring, and handcrafted. Ultimately, we didn’t just launch a campaign, we built a monument.

We turned Timo Boll's original table tennis rackets into hand-carved linocut artworks. Each one tells a defining moment of his career.

The rackets were used plates for fine art prints. After his final match, we surprised Timo with the first unique pieces. The hand-printed motifs were scanned and used at a 1:1 scale in the layouts for print ads, a poster, and a brochure. An exhibition during Berlin Art Week turned a personal thank-you into a public tribute.

Organizations

• Production Company

  Hochkant Film

Links

•   Website

Featured

• Timo Boll

Credits

Hiroshi Kimura
Marketing
Tamasu Butterfly Europa GmbH

Wolfgang Gerth
Key Account Manager
Tamasu Butterfly Europa GmbH

Daniel Schweinzer
Managing Creative Director
Jung von Matt

Lukas Liske
Managing Creative Director
Jung von Matt

Saydan Celik
Head of Design
Jung von Matt

Arne Stach
Creative Direction
Jung von Matt

Nicolas Linde
Creative Direction
Jung von Matt

Saydan Celik
Illustration
Jung von Matt

Maximillian Schmidt
Art Direction
Jung von Matt

Dennis Mayerhoeffer
Design
Jung von Matt

Marten Finster
Copy
Jung von Matt

Serif Karakoyun
Motion Design
Jung von Matt

Levinia Haupt
Senior Project Manager
Jung von Matt

Kassandra Haeffner
Junior Project Manager
Jung von Matt

Adrian Luebbert
Project Manager
Jung von Matt

Alexander Muenzer
Production Director
Jung von Matt

Christina Hermann
Heads of Productions
Jung von Matt

Oezden Uzun
Videographer
Jung von Matt

Torben Brueggemann
Managing Director
Jung von Matt

Alexander Kraft
PR
Jung von Matt

Auro Stagge
Executive Producer
Hochkant Film

Beat Schwiersch
DoP
Hochkant Film

Malte Gehrmann
Camera assistant and light
Hochkant Film

Friedemann Hertrampf
Photographer
Hochkant Film