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