Best Of The Best Rewarded At BT Sport Industry Awards 2014

The most creative, innovative and commercially successful work from the UK sport industry over the last year was rewarded at the BT Sport Industry Awards on Thursday evening, as those responsible for the greatest campaigns and brand performances of the year were presented with the coveted trophies in front of 1,750 industry peers, media and celebrities.

Although the full house included some of the biggest names from British and world sport, the sporting stars relinquished the limelight to recognise the contribution of those working behind the scenes in the world's most dynamic sports marketplace.

Campaigns and brands from across eight sports were rewarded, with the inclusion of winners from basketball and American football alongside the more traditional British sports of tennis, rugby, netball, football, sailing and cycling perhaps underlining the continuing internationalisation of the UK's sport industry.

But it was one of British sport's most traditional events that captured arguably the evening's biggest prize. Following Andy Murray's win, record viewing figures across the board and some of the most innovative digital work in the country, The Championships, Wimbledon, secured the coveted BT Sport Industry Award for Brand of the Year, Sponsored by Pinsent Masons.

It was not the only prize for tennis on the night, with adidas' sponsorship of Andy Murray named Best Sponsorship of a Team or Individual, Sponsored by Kantar Media. And adidas repeated its feat from the previous year of capturing a double, adding the Award for Best Use of PR, Sponsored by Action Images, for its colourful Chelsea FC kit launch campaign - 'It's Blue. What Else Matters?'

Liverpool and QPR joined Chelsea on the honours board by respectively winning Best International Marketing Campaign, Sponsored by London & Partners, and Best Use of Social Media, Sponsored by Sportlobster. Rugby matched football in terms of numbers, with Aviva's sponsorship of the Aviva Premiership, Essentially's management of Wales and Lions star Leigh Halfpenny, and HSBC's backing of the Lions all amongst the winners.
In the individual Awards, two men who have given decades of their lives to sport were rewarded and earned standing ovations from the room. Alan Pascoe, who recently retired as President of CSM and is one of the founding fathers of British sports marketing, received the Barclays Lifetime Achievement Award, while former NBA Commissioner David Stern received the inaugural International Impact Award. Meanwhile, Sir Ben Ainslie also added a BT Sport Industry Award to his long and illustrious honour roll, securing the Leadership in Sport Award, Sponsored by The Inzito Partnership, for his incredible feats with Team Oracle USA in the 2013 America's Cup.

The evening was a culmination of more than 60 hours of intensive judging, with the intricate judging process involving more than 50 key figures from across the industry - fully overseen by Deloitte, the Official Independent Scrutineer of the BT Sport Industry Awards.

Nick Keller, Chairman of the Sport Industry Group, commented: "The winners of the BT Sport Industry Awards 2014 reflect the international nature of this fantastic sector, and are testament to the unique place the British sport industry occupies on a global scale. From London to Australia, Dunblane to New York and Liverpool to South-East Asia, the work rewarded tonight has been selected from an absolutely stellar shortlist in which the quality has been higher than ever."

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, commented: "BT is proud to be part of such a dynamic, creative and exciting industry. With BT Sport approaching its first birthday, we have been thrilled to work with so many of the winners, shortlisters and attendees tonight over the past 12 months. Congratulations to all the winners and good luck for the year ahead."

Alan Pascoe, who won the Barclays Lifetime Achievement Award, summed up the mood in the room when he said: "I'm jealous of the young people starting in this business, because I wish I was starting again. You've got a great industry - most people would give their right arm to be in this business."

BT is the Headline Partner of the BT Sport Industry Award. Official Partners include Barclays, Deloitte and Eurosport. For more information on the event and the winners, go to www.sportindustry.biz
The full list of award winners is detailed below:

Best Sponsorship of a Team or Individual, sponsored by Kantar Media
adidas - Andy Murray - Hit The Winner

Best Management of a Sportsperson
Essentially - Leigh Halfpenny

Governing Body of the Year, sponsored by the Daily Telegraph
England Netball

Best Live Experience, sponsored by Eurosport
NFL on Regent Street

Participation Event of the Year, sponsored by Robertson Taylor W&P Longreach
Prudential RideLondon

Community Programme of the Year
Join In Trust - The Join In Summer

Digital Platform of the Year, sponsored by Loughborough University in London
Sky Sports Digital Media

Best Use of Social Media, sponsored by Sportlobster
QPR - In A League of Their Own

Best Use of PR, sponsored by Action Images
adidas - 'It's Blue. What Else Matters?'

Best Sponsorship of an Event or Competition, sponsored by ICON
Aviva - Aviva Premiership Rugby

Best International Marketing Campaign, sponsored by London & Partners
Standard Chartered Bank - Road to Anfield 2013

Best Integrated Marketing Campaign, sponsored by Battersea Evolution
HSBC - British and Irish Lions - A Legendary Journey

Brand of the Year, sponsored by Pinsent Masons
The Championships, Wimbledon

Agency of the Year, sponsored by Colouration
Two Circles

The International Impact Award
David Stern

The Barclays Lifetime Achievement Award
Alan Pascoe MBE

The Leadership in Sport Award, sponsored by The Inzito Partnership
Sir Ben Ainslie
Outstanding Contribution to Sport, sponsored by Singha Beer
Brian O'Driscoll

For more information, please contact:
Adam Fraser
Sport Industry Group
Email: adam@benchmarksport.com
0207 240 7700

NOTES TO EDITORS:

BT Sport Industry Awards

The BT Sport Industry Awards recognise and reward the best the sport business has to offer in marketing, PR, sponsorship, new media, publishing, advertising and design. The flagship event is Europe's largest and most prestigious commercial sport awards. To the attendees it is also the most important networking occasion in the sport business calendar where the highest profile sporting celebrities mix with the key decision-makers from governing bodies, brands, media companies and agencies.

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