NatWest Diversity Campaign Wins Sponsorship Of The Year Trophy at the 24th UK Sponsorship Awards

NatWest – Cricket has no boundaries, entered by M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, was revealed as Sponsorship Of The Year at the 24th UK Sponsorship Awards, hosted by comedian and writer Viv Groskop at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square on Tuesday, March 26, 2018. The campaign also picked up two category awards and a highly commended prize.

Also celebrating was the team from Octagon, named as the Large Agency of the Year. The Medium to Boutique Agency category was clinched for the first time by WeAreFearless.

Other winners on the night included Cadbury and PepsiCo, which won the first ever UKSA football sponsorship categories. The ‘Champions of Sponsorship’ programme saw three names inducted into the UKSA Hall Of Fame:  M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment’s Steve Martin, Sky Media’s David Shore and WSB Consulting’s Wendy Stephenson.

Commenting on the event, UK Sponsorship Awards organiser Rosemary Sarginson said: “Once again, we were delighted by the creativity and commercial impact of our entries. Despite high levels of technological disruption across all industries, sponsorship continues to prove its pivotal importance in the marketeer’s arsenal. Our winners and finalists are all best practice examples of how to build brands, drive sales, support communities and offer people life-changing experiences. I’d like to congratulate every one of them.”

As in previous years, the range of winners showcased how sponsorship can be a potent communications platform for businesses across a wide array of sectors. They ranged from car brand Skoda and hotel chain Hilton to the NHS and drinks brand Baileys. Financial services were represented by Morgan Stanley, First Direct and Royal Bank Of Canada while Virgin Media and Virgin TV both triumphed. There were also wins for Sure, first time sponsor Blackwell Global and McDonald’s, winner of two awards (continuity, grass roots).

In the media section of the evening’s Awards, there were wins for giffgaff, Oykos, Beats and the charity Movember, WPP and D&AD were also winners as were 11^th Hour Racing, which picked up the sustainability award with Land Rover BAR.

Diversity continues to be a key theme at the Awards. NatWest won this year’s diversity category while SSE won the Women’s category for a third year in succession. “The last year has been a watershed in terms of the debate around gender equality,” said Sarginson, “so I’m delighted that the sponsorship industry is also playing its part. I look forward to seeing more inspirational work at next year’s UK Sponsorship Awards, which will be our 25^th edition.”

The Book of the Night featuring all winners and finalists can be viewed here.