Sponsorship Snapshot: A Year in Review
Pitch Marketing Group
A 100% employee owned, earned-first creative communications agency building brands that people can be passionate about.
As 2023 draws to a close, this week's edition of Sponsorship Snapshot will take a look back on the Sponsorship and Partnership activations of this year. Below you will find the most creative and purposeful campaigns and activations where sporting giants in particular have paved the way for innovative ways to entice fans and audiences worldwide. ???
?
Mental-health focused campaigns all have good intentions though sometimes there can be a generalisation of those it affects and signs can be an issue. This campaign highlights exactly that, with the case that sometimes those struggling do not always seem to show on the outside. This campaign stood out as well as being a frontrunner in beginning to remove the topic of mental health in the football community. Watch the campaign film centred around two friends here (Little Black Book: Read here)
?
AI technology used in the most amazing way to make the sport-watching experience more inclusive! Michelob Ultra's incredible new AI-driven platform title 'Dreamcaster' allowed Cameron Black to become the first blind sports journalist to commentate on a live game. The technology mixed real-time sounds from a NBA Playoff game with vibrations and braille data that created an entire sensory experience that will inevitably be used in the future to create for even more inclusive ways for the visually impaired to enjoy live sports events. Watch here (Activative: Read here)
?
One of the most creative activations the NFL has ever seen! This collaboration between Disney and Pixar and the NFL brought in?younger audiences as well as revolutionising the way in which fans can experience a live game. American sports seem to be paving the way with their intention to alter dramatically the way in which fans can experience sporting events through technology. The Story 'Toy Story Fun Football'? meant fans had the alternative option to watch in real-time an animated version of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons game. See it here (Mashable: Read here)?
?
Another great example of a sponsor creating real-time impact on the way in which fans can enjoy a sport. Vodafone builds on their commitment to making sport and music events more inclusive, following the success of their 5G-powered haptic suits at the Mighty Hoopla Festival for the deaf and hard-of hearing. Here,? Vodafone goes one step further with 5G-powered headsets at this year's Wimbledon to improve the fan experience for those with visual impairments. (Sport Pro Media:?Read here)
?
There were many campaigns released ahead and around the Women's World Cup, though Google Pixel was one to stand out from the crowd with its multifaceted campaign. A hero film with the popular Lauren James moved away from the general purpose-led messaging of support for the women's tournament and instead focused on player performance which was appreciated by many. The onboarding of influencers and football fans alike into a unique promotion of the tournament technique through the 'Pixel FC' was also highlighted in its way to appeal to younger audiences who may not have watched the women's game before. (Campaign: Read here)?
领英推荐
?
A campaign for the Rugby World Cup that was able blend a focus on the location of the tournament with the nation of the partner itself. O2's partnership campaign for England Rugby was able to have a background tone of French culture whilst having a central message that underpinned the uniqueness of English fan passion. Watch the campaign film here?(Creative Salon: Read here)?
?
Lego shows a continued effort to forge partnerships that make sense for greener future ambitions - a move away from its conflicting partnership of the past? with Shell which certainly did not reflect their sustainable ambitions. Partnering with European Energy and Novo Nordisk, Lego intends to utilise e-methanol as a plastic alternative in future productions. (Impakter: Read here)?
?
The world of fashion and football collide in this exclusive line that got everyone's attention! Arsenal and kit providers Adidas collaborated with the British powerhouse designer, Stella McCartney, to release the first-ever women's away kit for the club. The kit itself also highlighted Adidas' commitment to reducing its plastic waste with key pieces of the collection made of 47% of recycled polyester and 100% organic cotton. (Versus: Read here
?
The Fight Against Alzheimer's Association (A.L.M.A) and Racing Club joined together to release a campaign film that audiences will find hard to get go of emotionally. Confusion is synonymous with the experience someone will Alzheimer's disease will unfortunately have to deal with on a daily basis and this film shows this play out on a football pitch. Overall, an awareness campaign that was applauded by the industry. Watch the campaign film here
?
An important example of purpose-led partnership where action can be seen to really be taking place! Corona Mexico alongside We Believers created the 'Second Chance League' where inmates are giving the chance to learn of self-discipline within the programme implemented across prisons in Mexico. (Muse by Clio: Read more)