Evian’s Wimbledon 2018 campaign was named Sponsorship of the Year at last night’s 25th UK Sponsorship Awards.
The campaign, which was entered by Wavemaker, also picked up three other awards in the Sport, Brand and Branded Content categories.
In other categories, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment was named as the best Large Agency of the Year, and Wavemaker was named as the best Media Agency of the Year.
The O2 arena won the prestigious Silver Award – a one-off accolade to celebrate the best sponsorship of the last 25 years – beating iconic campaigns such as Carling and the English Premier League; Natwest and the England and Wales Cricket Board; British Airways and the London 2012 Olympics; and Sainsbury’s and the London 2012 Paralympics.
This year’s ‘Champions of Sponsorship’ award-winners – in recognition of individual excellence and dedication to the industry –were Octagon’s Phil Carling, AEG Europe’s Paul Samuels, and diversity campaigner Polly Shute.
Bright Partnerships took the Sponsorship Innovation of the Year Award – its first agency category win – for its DHL x ESL ‘Moments that Deliver’ campaign.
Rosemary Sarginson, managing director of the UK Sponsorship Awards, said: “The last year has been a challenging one for businesses, with uncertainty surrounding Brexit and continued media and technological disruption.
“Yet again, however, our winners and finalists showed that the sponsorship industry has been able to raise its game.
“Through a combination of innovation, creativity and sheer hard work, they drive economic value while also supporting sports and cultural institutions and offering life-changing experiences. Congratulations to every single participant.”
The 25th UK Sponsorship Awards was held at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square and hosted by BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond. The ceremony was attended by around 500 sponsorship industry decision-makers.
SportBusiness is a commercial partner of the UK Sponsorship Awards.