Sector-focused awards

Arts and Culture Sponsorship
– WINNER: Secret Sofa by Häagen-Dazs

Esports Sponsorship
– WINNER: BMW – United in Rivalry

Media Sponsorship
– WINNER: SuperValu Inspiring Cooking

Music Sponsorship
– WINNER: The Virgin Money Unity Arena: the world’s first socially distanced live music venue

Purpose-led Sponsorship: 2 sub-categories

Purpose-led Sponsorship – Cause
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: Energia Get Ireland Growing
– WINNER: Generali’s Community Sponsoring with The Human Safety Net

Purpose-led Sponsorship – Sport
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: 20×20: AIG, Investec, KPMG, Lidl & Three
– WINNER: INTERSPORT – NOT BAD FOR A GIRL

Sport Sponsorship sponsored by DataPOWA: 3 sub-categories

Sport Sponsorship < €1M sponsored by DataPOWA
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: Energia – The Power Behind Irish Rugby
– WINNER: Ramboll Stockholm half marathon

Sport Sponsorship €1M – €5M sponsored by DataPOWA
– WINNER: Carlsberg & Liverpool FC – ‘Champions’ Campaign

Sport Sponsorship > €5M sponsored by DataPOWA
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: O2 x England Rugby
– WINNER: NatWest Cricket

Discipline-focused awards

Best Employee Engagement
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ramboll Stockholm half marathon
– WINNER: FedEx – Official Sponsor of the UEFA Europa League

Best Newcomer
– WINNER: SUPERCELL x Paris Saint-Germain, an innovative new partnership

Best Use of Branded Content
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: An Post Insta Story Club with Image
– WINNER: O2 x England Rugby – RWC TVC

Best Use of Digital Channels (inc Social Media)
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: VIRGIN MONEY UNITY ARENA
– WINNER: Old El Paso #MessFreeChallenge

Best Use of Insights
-WINNER: Energia – The Power Behind Irish Rugby

Best Use of PR
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: INTERSPORT – NOT BAD FOR A GIRL
– WINNER: VIRGIN MONEY UNITY ARENA

Best Use of Talent
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: SuperValu Inspiring Cooking
– WINNER: Cadbury Win The Captain

Best Use of Virtual Experiences: 2 sub-categories

Best Use of Virtual Experiences – Fan Engagement
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: West Ham United’s ‘Best Seat in the House’ brought to you by Experience Kissimmee
– WINNER: Heineken and UEFA present the Opening Party powered by Defected

Best Use of Virtual Experiences – Participation
– HIGHLY COMMENDED: Vhi Virtual Women’s Mini Marathon
– WINNER: Secret Sofa by Häagen-Dazs

Special Categories 

Best Ethical Response to COVID-19: 2 sub-categories

Best Ethical Response to COVID-19 – Cause
– WINNER: Electric Ireland & Pieta – Sunrise Appeal

Best Ethical Response to COVID-19 – Sport
– WINNER: Wasserman x United Nations ‘Keep It Up’ Campaign

Rights Holder of the Year
– JOINT WINNER: Paris Saint-Germain Football Club
– JOINT WINNER: Transport for London

ESA Best of Europe sponsored by SPONSORIUM

– BRONZE WINNER: France – Sponsor of the Year 2020 (Sporsora
Jeep ELITE naming, French basketball championship

– SILVER WINNER: Ireland – All Ireland Marketing Awards (Marketing Institute of Ireland)
Team Of Us

– GOLD WINNER: Norway – Best Campagne (Sponsor og eventforeningen)
“Practice makes perfect” by Gjensidige

ESA Sponsorship of the Year
– WINNER: Old El Paso #MessFreeChallenge

2021 ESA Awards Shortlist

Sector-focused awards

Arts and Culture Sponsorship
– An Post Irish Book Awards
– BTHVN on Tour in the USA, Orchestrated by DHL
– Davy Sound – Davy & the National Concert Hall
– Secret Sofa by Häagen-Dazs

Esports Sponsorship
– BMW – United in Rivalry
– MotoGP eSport Championship (How to align Virtual and Real sponsorship with Oakley)
– SAFEIS 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual

Media Sponsorship
– Amazon Prime and TfL
– Frank and Honest with Jen Zamparelli on 2fm
– Lidl sponsorship of Gogglebox Ireland
– Panadol Extra Homegrown Heroes with RTÉ
– SuperValu Inspiring Cooking
– Toyota Gazoo Racing

Music Sponsorship
– ‘Hotel Mama’ by Ethias
– O2 Academy: This is just an interval
– The Virgin Money Unity Arena: the world’s first socially distanced live music venue

Purpose-led Sponsorship: 2 sub-categories

Purpose-led Sponsorship  – Cause
– Energia Get Ireland Growing
– Generali’s Community Sponsoring with The Human Safety Net
– Scottish Ballet’s Safe to be Me supported by Aberdeen Standard Investments
– Volunteer it Yourself and Dulux and Travis Perkins

Purpose-led Sponsorship – Sport
– 20×20: AIG, Investec, KPMG, Lidl & Three
– AIG
– BT: 4-3-3
– Cadbury & Manchester United – Donate Your Words
– DHL Race to Rugby World Cup
– Electric Ireland Game Changers
– INTERSPORT – NOT BAD FOR A GIRL
– Parasport powered by Toyota

Sport Sponsorship sponsored by DataPOWA: 3 sub-categories

Sport Sponsorship < €1M sponsored by DataPOWA
– Düren fährt MAN / Düren drives MAN
– Energia – The Power Behind Irish Rugby
– INTERSPORT – NOT BAD FOR A GIRL
– Loch Lomond Whiskies – European Tour UK Swing (Be There In Spirit)
– Ramboll Stockholm half marathon
– The Innovation Hub – European Tour & Tata Communications Start-up Challenge
– Vodafone Front Row

Sport Sponsorship €1M – €5M sponsored by DataPOWA
– Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open 2020
– AIB #The Toughest – Sponsorship of Grassroots & Elite Gaelic Games
– Carlsberg & Liverpool FC – ‘Champions’ Campaign
– DHL Rugby World Cup 2019 #EpicMoments
– OBOS’ Mascots
– Purplebricks. The Official Estate Agent of Team GB.
– SAP Interactive Data Space – TSG Hoffenheim

Sport Sponsorship > €5M sponsored by DataPOWA
– Bridgestone Chase Your Dream No Matter What Campaign (2019 – 2020)
– BT: 4-3-3
– FedEx – Official Sponsor of the UEFA Europa League
– NatWest Cricket – Sport Sponsorship
– O2 x England Rugby
– Paris Saint-Germain x ALL Front Jersey Sponsorship
– This is for Them – AIG Life & the All Blacks

Discipline-focused awards

Best Employee Engagement
– Atea – The Danish National Team in Information Technology
– B-Well @ Home – Bridgestone B-Olympic
– BT: The 4-3-3 Squad & FA Playmaker Recruitment
– FedEx – Official Sponsor of the UEFA Europa League
– HJK and Bolt.Works partnership
– Ramboll Stockholm half marathon

Best Newcomer
– 2FM The Jen Zamparelli Show
– INTERSPORT – NOT BAD FOR A GIRL
– Secret Sofa by Häagen-Dazs
– SUPERCELL x Paris Saint-Germain, an innovative new partnership

Best Use of Branded Content
– AIB #The Toughest – Backing Club & County
– An Post Insta Story Club with Image
– Bridgestone Chase Your Dream No Matter What Campaign – New Ambassadors (2019 – 2020)
– End of Football – Xylem and Manchester City
– Father’s Day – Gillette
– O2 x England Rugby – RWC TVC
– SANTA RITA 120 AND ARSENAL FC
– Tata Communications #MotoGPConnect

Best Use of Digital Channels (inc Social Media)
– #15Love: 15 Ways to Experience the Next with Infosys and Roland-Garros
– AIG Show Your Skills
– Chelsea and Duracell’s pioneering short-term digital partnership
– DHL Backyard Mechanic
– OBOS’ Mascots
– Old El Paso #MessFreeChallenge
– Ramboll Stockholm half marathon
– VIRGIN MONEY UNITY ARENA

Best Use of Insights
– AIB The Toughest – Sponsorship of Grassroots & Elite Gaelic Games
– Energia – The Power Behind Irish Rugby
– Measuring Return on Sponsorship Investment (ROSI) for Kindred Group’s Existing & Future Partnership Portfolio

Best Use of PR
– 20×20: If She Can’t See it, She Can’t Be It
– INTERSPORT – NOT BAD FOR A GIRL
– Levi’s x Liverpool FC
– VIRGIN MONEY UNITY ARENA

Best Use of Talent
– Cadbury Win The Captain
– Old El Paso #MessFreeChallenge
– Santander and F2 Freestylers – The Numbers Game
– Secret Sofa by Häagen-Dazs
– SuperValu Inspiring Cooking
– Tackle Your Feelings

Best Use of Virtual Experiences: 2 sub-categories

Best Use of Virtual Experiences – Fan Engagement
– CrowdAmp
– Energia AIL Virtual Rugby Awards
– Heineken and UEFA present the Opening Party powered by Defected
– NatWest Cricket – A Summer Of Virtual Events
– NTT DATA and The Open for The Ages
– Royal Ascot At Home (Multiple Sponsors)
– The Symphony of Silence | Emotional Remix of the UEFA Europa League Anthem by Hankook Tire and David Garrett
– The Tottenham Hotspur Virtual Mascot Programme, presented by Kumho Tyre
– West Ham United’s ‘Best Seat in the House’ brought to you by Experience Kissimmee

Best Use of Virtual Experiences – Participation
– DHL Backyard Mechanic
– NN Running Day
– Parasport powered by Toyota
– Secret Sofa by Häagen-Dazs
– The One Million Run & Vaudoise Insurances
– Vhi Virtual Women’s Mini Marathon
– Virtual Baloise Belgium Tour

Special Categories 

Best Ethical Response to COVID-19: 2 sub-categories

Best Ethical Response to COVID-19 – Cause
– Scottish Ballet’s Dance Health supported by Baillie Gifford
– Electric Ireland & Pieta – Sunrise Appeal
– Guinness and ALONE
– NEC Group supports NHS by delivering NHS Nightingale Birmingham
– «OBOS Jubel (Jubel means cheering in Norwegian)
– Vaudoise Insurances & Qoqa: the DireQt project

Best Ethical Response to COVID-19 – Sport
– BT: We Connect For Good
– Levi’s x Liverpool FC
– Lucozade Sport – The Keep Us Moving Initiative
– Malcolm got a prize “G-Drive. The best player of March” by drone. Project FC “Zenit” and “G-Drive”
– Sport For Good Response Fund
– Wasserman x United Nations ‘Keep It Up’ Campaign

Rights Holder of the Year
– British Canoeing – Go Paddling This Summer
– Dorna Sports – MotoGP eSport Championship (How to align Virtual and Real sponsorship)
– Paris Saint-Germain Football Club
– Transport for London

ESA Best of Europe sponsored by SPONSORIUM
(entry by invitation only)
Across Europe, each national sponsorship agency puts forward their sponsorship of the year. Bronze, Silver and Gold are awarded to the best of the best with entry by invitation only
– NOMINEES

ESA Sponsorship of the Year (chosen from category winners – announced on the night)
The winner from each main award category is rejudged by the panel and one campaign is crowned ‘ESA Sponsorship of the Year’