Irish campaigns pick up top prizes at ESA Excellence Awards

Irish sponsorships picked up two of the most prestigious awards at the ESA Excellence Awards last night, with Liberty Insurance winning the Business to Consumer category for its joint sponsorship of Gaelic Athletic Association sports, hurling and camogie, and Electric Ireland winning the gold medal in the ESA Best of Europe category for its sponsorship of Team Ireland in the London Olympics 2012.

The ESA Best of Europe award is the prize given to the best of six national sponsorship association award winners from France, Germany, Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The ESA Excellence Awards, of which Sports Sponsorship Insider is a partner, are organised by the European Sponsorship Association and recognise excellence within the sponsorship industry across Europe.

Sponsorships linked to professional football took just one of the 10 sponsorship category awards up for grabs. That went to quick service restaurant chain McDonald’s for its Euro 2012 Player Escort Programme in the Multi-National award category.

Golf figured in two of the award categories: Genworth Putts4Charity won the Business to Community award and Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open won the Business to Business award.

Swimming, sailing, rugby union and athletics took the rest for, respectively, British Gas SwimsBritain (Business to Employee), SAP at Kieler Woche (Business to Consumer – Low Budget), RBS 6 Nations (Social Media), British Athletics and Sainsbury’s (Rights Holder).

Supermarket Morrisons took the only winner’s award not connected to a sporting property, winning the “Business to Consumer – Media”  category for its broadcast sponsorship of the entertainment programme “Ant & Dec Bring Out The Talent”.

Agency MEC Access won the evening’s first award, the Professional Development Award.

The Awards Ceremony took place at the Plaisterers’ Hall in the City of London and was hosted by Steve Parry, UK radio/TV presenter and former Olympic swimmer. The sold-out event attracted a record number of guests.

The European Sponsorship Association’s (ESA) annual awards received entries from 11 countries which were assessed by an independent panel of expert judges from across the continent. The awards enjoyed the patronage of Mrs Androulla Vassiliou, member of the European Commission.

Below is the full list of winners and highly commended campaigns from last nights Awards Ceremony and Dinner.

2013 ESA Excellence Awards – Winners and Highly Commended

Professional Development Award

MEC Access – WINNER

Business to Employee

British Gas SwimsBritain – WINNER
Prudential RideLondon – HIGHLY COMMENDED

Business to Consumer – Low Budget

SAP at Kieler Woche – WINNER
Little Mix / Schwarzkopf LIVE Color XXL – HIGHLY COMMENDED

Social Media

RBS 6 Nations – WINNER

Business to Community

Genworth Putts4Charity – WINNER
Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week – HIGHLY COMMENDED

Business to Consumer

Liberty Insurance and the GAA – WINNER

Business to Consumer – Media

Morrisons – Ant & Dec Bring Out The Talent – WINNER
Anchor and Food Glorious Food – HIGHLY COMMENDED

Business to Business

Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open – WINNER

Rights Holder Award

British Athletics and Sainsbury’s – WINNER

Multi-National Award

McDonald’s EURO 2012 Player Escort Programme – WINNER
The Standard Chartered Trophy – HIGHLY COMMENDED

ESA BEST OF EUROPE AWARD

Ireland – The All Ireland Marketing Awards
Electric Ireland’s Sponsorship of Team Ireland in London Olympics 2012 – GOLD

Slovenia – Slovenian Marketing Association /SPORTO Conference
Hypo Alpe Adria – Basket of Services EuroBasket 2013 – SILVER

United Kingdom – UK Sponsorship Awards
Sky’s Sponsorship of the Great Britain Cycling Team – BRONZE