The South African Rugby Union (SARU) again featured strongly among some of the top sporting brands and organisations for the 2014 Discovery Sport Industry Awards, with the federation being nominated in three categories.
SARU earned nominations for the Best TV Sport Commercial, the Best Use of PR in a Sport Campaign and Sport Development Programme of the Year.
The Springbok Sevens’ ‘Mission to Moscow’ commercial in the build-up to the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia featured alongside Absa’s Human Spirit and SAB Castle Lager’s Superfans United commercials among others in the Best TV Sport Commercial Category.
The Springbok Shirtless Campaign to promote Bok Friday, meanwhile, was nominated for the Best Use of PR in a Sport Campaign with the Department of Sport and Recreation’s Unite4Mandela campaign, Nike’s Run Jozi 10km race and the EFC Africa Experience.
SARU’s Vodacom Cup ‘Tjovitjo’ campaign was nominated for the second successive year in the Sport Development Programme of the Year category.
The Castle Lager Incoming Series was also nominated for the Best Sponsorship of a Sport Event or Competition. The Sharks, Vodacom Blue Bulls, DHL Stormers and the Vaseline Fan of the Match campaign, which was one of the main competitions running during the Castle Lager Incoming Series, were also nominated for the Best Integrated Sport Marketing Campaign.
Absa Currie Cup winners The Sharks are shortlisted for the Sports Brand of the Year Award.
SARU CEO Jurie Roux was delighted about the nominations. “We have set high standards as a sport federation so it pleasing to see SARU, our franchises and provinces feature among the best consistently in the Discovery Sport Industry Awards,” according to Roux.
“These nominations serve as recognition for the hard work put in by our various SARU departments and their partners, and I am pleased to see them being rewarded for their efforts. This is particularly satisfying given how competitive the sport industry has become over the past few years,” added the SARU CEO.
The winner’s will be announced on Thursday, 13 February 2014 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
The complete 2014 Discovery Sport Industry Awards Shortlist:
Sport Agency of the Year
Brand inc Creative Group
EXP South Africa
Levergy
Openfield Marketing
Playmakers Sponsorship
Best Sponsorship of a Sport Event or Competition
· Absa Premiership
adidas – Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon
Castle Lager Incoming Series
Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca Cola
Nedbank Cup
Standard Bank – AFCON
Sport Brand of the Year
adidas South Africa
EFC Africa
Kaizer Chiefs Football Club
Nike
The Proteas
The Sharks
Best use of digital communications in Sport
Absa – The Human Spirit
Vodacom Blue Bulls
DHL Stormers
EFC Africa
Nedbank Ke Yona Team
The Sharks
Sport Participation event of the year
Absa Cape Epic
Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour
Comrades Marathon
J.P Morgan Corporate Challenge
Nike We Run Jozi 10K
Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon
TV Sport Commercial of the Year
Absa – The Human Spirit
SAB Castle Lager – Superfans United
SARU – Springboks Sevens ‘Mission Moscow’
SuperSport – FINA World Champs 2013
SuperSport –Unbelievable!
Telkom – Jomo Sono’s Wedding
Best Sponsorship of a Team or Individual
adidas – Orlando Pirates: Black is Back
Castle Lager – 20 Years Behind Bafana Bafana
DHL – DHL Stormers
Toyota – Toyota Free State Cheetahs
Best use of PR in a Sport Campaign
· Absa Cape Epic – Team Absa
EFC Africa Experience
MTN8
Nike We Run Jozi 10K
SARU – Springbok Shirtless Campaign
SRSA – Unite4Mandela
Best Integrated Sport Marketing Campaign
Absa – The Human Spirit
adidas Refresh Your Gear
Castle Lager – AFCON Africa United
MTN 8
Nedbank Ke Yona Team
Vaseline Fan of the Match (Test rugby campaign)
Sport Development Programme of the Year
The Dreamfields Project
Powerade Performance Sessions with John Mitchell
NBA Royal Bafokeng Jr. Programme
SARU – Vodacom Cup 2013 ‘Tjovitjo’
Spur School Mountain Bike League
SuperSport Let’s Play
Best Live Experience
The BMW Challenge
Cape Town Tens
EFC Africa
KFC Mini-Cricket T20 Kids
Nedbank – Comrades Marathon Spectator & Green Mile
Sansui Summer Cup
Best New Sponsorship
adidas – Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon
KAYA FM 67KM Relay for Mandela Day
Momentum One Day Cricket
Mutual & Federal Premier Interschools Rugby
Nashua Super 8 Boxing
Ram Slam T20 Domestic Challenge