BEST RUGBY SPONSORSHIP OF THE DECADE - THE SHORTLIST

The Shortlist Is Unveiled -  And Now It’s Time To Cast Your Vote!

After canvassing the sponsorship industry’s opinion about what should be named the Best Rugby Sponsorship Of The Decade, the UK Sponsorship Awards organising team is delighted to announced its shortlist. Eight campaigns have been selected by the judges and now it’s back to you to vote for the one you think is most deserving. Take a look at the list below and then cast your vote by email to this address info@sponsorship-awards.co.uk with the name of the sponsor in the subject line.  You can tweet us @SponsNews with your vote.  

“Many thanks to all of you who nominated sponsorships for this special one-off award,” said UK Sponsorship Awards organiser Rosemary Sarginson. “I’m delighted to say that our judges have now whittled down the nominations into an impressive looking shortlist. Any of them would be worthy winners but they only stand a chance if you take a few seconds to vote. The deadline for voting is Monday 7th March and it’s free, so don’t hang around! Make sure you back your favourite campaign.”

Adidas’ sponsorship of the New Zealand All Blacks incorporates the history and tradition of Maori people in a respectful and authentic way. The partnership started in 1999 and runs through until 2019. As part of the deal the All Blacks get to play in adidas’ most technologically advanced apparel and boots.

AIG, Official Insurance Partner of New Zealand Rugby, created a global experience based around a Virtual Reality platform called the Haka 360 Experience. The public were able to engage with the brand through a fanzone, social media competitions and All Black player events. AIG has helped raise the profile of the game at home and in developing rugby nations, by encouraging young people to participate safely in the sport.

DHL has sponsored the last two Rugby World Cups and is also connected to a number of rugby properties worldwide, including World Rugby Sevens, USA Rugby, Harlequins and Stormers. A credible partner that works behind the scenes to deliver the infrastructure and freight, it is not afraid to have fun and be innovative, and talks the language of rugby fans.

Guinness signed up to the English Premiership is 2005 with the specific objective to improve the brand’s front of mind awareness and promote a key “Guinness drinking” occasion. At the time the brand had slipped in terms of its relevance and, whilst its rugby heritage from 1999 RWC was known, the customer connection had diminished. Running through to 2011, it was highly successful in delivering its objectives.

Heineken has a long association with the Rugby World Cup, having supported South Africa 1995, Australia 2003, France 2007 and New Zealand 2011 as well as the latest event. However it is on this list for the work it has done supporting European club rugby. From 1995 to 2013, it was sponsor of the European Rugby Cup and then it became sponsor of replacement event The European Rugby Champions Cup. It has played a pivotal role in the professionalisation of the sport.

Land Rover has over 20 years’ heritage at all levels of the game - including grassroots programmes in Australia, France, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK. While other brands focused on the glitz and glamour of RWC 2015, Land Rover’s #WeDealInReal campaign championed rugby’s grassroots.

O2’s sponsorship of England Rugby has stood out in the wider world of sponsorship. Consistently innovative and highly focused on delivering value to O2 customers through its Priority strategy, O2 and its agencies produce eye-catching, disruptive and multi-award-winning campaigns. O2’s major campaigns around Rugby World Cups included the 2007 Never Surrender campaign and the 2011 Get Up for England campaign. More recently it has invited England fans to ‘Wear The Rose’.

RBS has sponsored the Six Nations Tournament since 2003, last renewing in 2013. One of the best-known sponsorships in the UK sports industry, it has provided a stable communications platform at a time of uncertainty for the bank. In recent years, RBS has created a strong connection with the rugby community via digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

We look forward to receiving your votes.  The counting begins on Monday March 7th.