It was a night of spectacular success for Ireland at last night’s European Sponsorship Awards with no fewer than three of the main awards coming back across the water later today.
In the main event of the night Liberty Insurance took the Silver Medal for sponsorship campaigns across Europe for its work with the GAA and the Camogie Association over the past two years.
It was a well deserved triumph for the team led by Annette ní Dhathlaoí and supported in house by John Coffey, Eilís Smith and Joe Canning and externally by a range of agencies including WHPR.
The same agency were celebrating a unique hat trick being also involved with the Electric Ireland Minor to Major campaign that won the award for best business to consumer campaign (under €500,000), and the An Post Cycle Series that landed the best Business to Community sponsorship in the lower budget category.
To achieve such a level of success amid such a high level of competition from brands and agencies across the continent is a mark of respect for the entire industry here in Ireland.
The winners are thoroughly deserving of this recognition for the effort, imagination and energy they put into getting their sponsorships right in areas that are often away from the headline areas of the biggest events.
Electric Ireland’s advertising and back up for the GAA Minor Championships showed the commitment that young players make amid the turbulence of their teenage lives.
Liberty’s rising to the challenge of getting behind Women’s sport has been genuine and impactful in a space that has massive societal as well as commercial benefit and in which Sport for Business is pleased to play an ongoing part in helping to make a difference.
An Post’s dedication to getting people active across communities is another example of how commercial support at grassroots level can have real and lasting effect.
That these three programmes should be recognised is also tribute to the other companies and agencies working within Ireland whose own effort pushes those at the top of the game to continually innovate and improve.
A heartfelt well done to all. This is what sponsorship can do…
Image Credit: @MattRoganSport Via Twitter
