What happened

To promote its sponsorship of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Sainsbury’s created a short video of David Beckham being put through his paces by David Clarke, team GB’s Blind Football legend. Widely seeded online, on TV and in cinemas, the video raises awareness of the Sainsbury’s 1 Million Kids Challenge, which aims to get a million children to try a Paralympic sport, and its sponsorship of the Paralympic Games overall.

Why we love it

Sainsbury’s ‘Paralympic Games-only’ sponsorship is an exciting innovation in itself.  This is the first time that the rights for the Paralympic Games have been carved out and sold separately to those for the Olympics (although Olympic sponsorship still includes the Paralympic Games as well). Sainsbury’s can use this differentiated position to derive some key benefits.

Firstly, unlike Olympic venues, the London 2012 Paralympic Games’ venues and athletes can be branded.  With 150 hours of Paralympic Games footage to be broadcast on Channel 4, it will deliver plenty of ‘natural’ brand exposure for Sainsbury’s. In addition, the Paralympic Games provide some truly emotive stories of excellence, inspiration and dedication that resonate with the consumers and, critically, are different to the Olympic stories that will be told by the other sponsors. As Sainsbury’s Head of Sponsorship, Jat Sahota, said: “There are amazing individual stories, but it is important not to overplay the adversity angle – they are ordinary people doing extraordinary things; they are elite athletes. There is a richness to those stories that I think the British public will respond to more than some of the Olympian stories.”

Using David Beckham as a Paralympic Games Ambassador is an interesting choice. Whilst it is unusual to have an ambassador for an event who has never participated in it, Beckham’s involvement is a good way to deliver its messages to the widest possible audience.  It is obvious, though perhaps slightly regrettable, that a star of mainstream sport is a great candidate to help convey the Paralympic Games’ message.

Signing up the much-loved Beckham is unlikely to be a step in the wrong direction for any brand, but it’s what Sainsbury’s did with him that made this use of an ambassador so successful. The ABCDE model tells us that content is a vital part of excellent sponsorship, and the combination of a fascinating insight into blind football, combined with the allure of Beckham’s talent and good looks (sorry!) makes for compelling viewing. Football is the best loved sport in the UK, and so provides a good route into the discovery of Paralympic activities for those with little prior knowledge.

The last time blind football caught the public’s attention to such an extent was probably when Paddy Power released this controversial advert in 2010 and Sainsbury’s approach to blind football, naturally, could not be more different. It evokes the skill required for the sport, provoking exactly those feelings of inspiration and patriotism that the best sponsorships should.

The 1 Million Kids challenge is an ambitious programme to promote Paralympic sport to the mainstream, and using Beckham as its Paralympic Games ambassador shows that Sainsbury’s is serious about trying to make this happen.

Sainsbury’s core asset might be the London 2012 Paralympic Games, but by creating content that combines this sponsorship with a superstar ambassador from outside the Paralympic world, they are truly maximising its impact.

By Jessica Enoch on January 25th, 2012

Tags: Celebrity, Content, David Beckham, Default, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympics, Synergy Loves

No comments

As I write this we are only three days away from Christmas Day and, in our industry anyway, many thoughts beyond that are inevitably turning to the New Year and London 2012. So it seemed entirely appropriate, for my last post of the year, to write about my belief that the Olympic Games – Summer and Winter – are a lot like Christmas.

That might sound strange to some of you, but having experienced numerous Games first hand, I can tell you that this ‘Christmas feeling’ has always been one of my overriding impressions.

There have been others of course: great sporting moments, inspiring human stories, the sheer scale of the Games, the very different experiences each host nation and city creates (good and not so good), and many more. London will give us all of these – hopefully some of the best ever.

And if you’re lucky enough to be here at Games-time, I hope you’ll get that Christmas feeling too.

A feeling of optimism and celebration; of being part of something precious and intense, very big but at the same time very personal. A feeling that, for a time at least, the world and the people in it are united and at their very best. And, once the moment has passed, the wonderful memories tinged with the sadness of knowing that you can’t get it back.

Sound familiar?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours from myself and all at Synergy. See you in (London) 2012.

By Tim Crow on December 22nd, 2011

Tags: Default, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship, Olympics, Synergy, Winter Olympics

No comments

I was in Auckland with the British and Irish Lions when London was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games. Very excited, my first thought was ‘how can I get involved’?

Roll on two years and my excitement grew when I filled in my volunteer form. After working at Synergy for nearly 30 years and with an employment history of running media offices in a number of different sports, I assumed – wrongly as it turned out – that I would be an ideal volunteer to work in one of the many media centres.

Over the next nine months I continued to receive emails from the LOCOG Games Maker programme saying I hadn’t been forgotten but on the other hand I hadn’t been chosen…

Suddenly, three weeks ago, I received an email saying my application had been reconsidered and could I come in for an interview – not for the media centre but instead the Spectator Entry Team!  Still keen to be involved, I rang up and booked my interview time.

So it was that last Friday I found myself heading towards LOCOG’s offices in Canary Wharf to attend my interview.  A group of us sat waiting – about 12 in total – representing a cross-section of London society.

Escorted to the office, the group was full of questions and we were given an outline of the role for which we were being interviewed – in short, we would be ambassadors outside the venues helping spectators with information and also ‘providing entertainment’ if the security queues got too long.  Not quite sure what he meant by that, but it certainly was a worry when we were told that it might take an hour and half to get through security into the venue…it might need a little bit more than us entertaining them with that wait!

We moved on to have our ID checked and our photo taken – in case we are chosen – and were then taken into a holding area full of information about 2012.

Next stop a cinema to watch a short film on the programme – with sweets provided by a nice man from Cadbury and clear mention of our training was being provided by McDonald’s – which constituted a very funny to camera piece from Eddie Izzard. Then the interview…

The interviewer assured us that this would be very informal, asking us the following questions: what is your favourite Olympic memory (I chose Steve Redgrave winning his fifth Gold medal); why do you think you can do the role (given that we had only been told what it was 10 minutes earlier, there was a need to think quickly); how many days can you commit to, etc.

My favourite Olympic memory

With the interview over, we headed down towards the Tube, and I discovered that I was not the only person that hadn’t been selected when their experience might be best-suited…there was a doctor (who had ticked the ‘Medical’ box) and two other media officers (who had ticked the ‘Media’ box).  Most interestingly there was the guy who had researched Boris Johnson’s background for ‘Who do you think you are?’ – I am not sure which box he’d ticked though!

So I am now waiting to see whether I have been chosen and if so to which venue…perhaps it will be Lord’s which is only five minutes from my house and I know like the back of my hand having worked there for various sponsors over the past 20 years – just please don’t  give me Wembley!

Stay tuned for the next update…

By Fiona Foster on November 18th, 2011

Tags: Default, London 2012 sponsorship, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympics, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy, Team GB

2 comments

We all know the Olympic Games is coming to town. It’s getting closer and the clock is ticking, will we cope? Will the London Tube system handle all the extra people? How many medals will Team GB win? Anyone fancy a legacy? Will it make kids thin again? All those words are echoing around the UK media. I don’t have the answers.

But what I can explore is a new view, certainly to me anyway, as I’ve only had it about 5 minutes. London 2012 represents many things and has many hot topics, not least the L-word: Legacy. Defined as anything you want it to be, depending upon who you’re talking to, so I may as well chuck my own legacy-hat in the Olympic Ring…

Welcome to the world of collaboration

In marketing, we often discuss new platforms, will it be Facebook, Twitter, an app or something more traditional? But whilst all these platforms (and many more) have a huge role to play in the future for sponsorship, it’s finding better and more interesting ways to work together that will define the next generation of our industry. How will we combine the creativity and know-how across the marketing industry and beyond, to create truer forms of engagement and understanding?

What does this all mean for the Games?

For me, this is indeed the opportunity that smacks us in the face. I’m privileged to work for Engine, a place designed to create, embrace and accelerate the fast-changing collaboration process, which we leverage across all kinds of brands and all kinds of projects and campaigns. But London 2012 will, and is, enabling all types of cross-functional working, taking down barriers to make the best of British talent. Look at the architectural brilliance of the venues, the undeniably efficient construction projects, or how government and other public bodies are finding ways to work together towards a single goal.

We have the world’s biggest sporting event, in one of the most creative, digitally-savvy and energetic cities on the planet; I’m pretty sure an opportunity like this is rare. True, lots of us realise it’s coming and are grinding away to try and deliver something of marketing genius. Some of us certainly will.

But the opportunity to create truly integrated working — when we merge brains, disciplines or even industries — will have by far and away the biggest impact and lasting legacy on our industry. At least it certainly should do.

I believe we do ‘forced change’ particularly well in the UK. Take the recent and awful riots across London and other UK cities. It was something that no one anticipated or wanted to see, and yet, we’re already seeing huge change programmes implemented, from the top of government to tiny communities projects. Knee-jerk probably, but very much needed too. Change is vital to ensure these challenges are addressed, to give young people the opportunities they deserve to take a grip of their own futures.

In a very different way, the Games provides a similar vehicle to force change, the immovable deadline of London 2012 creates the pressure and dynamic environment to really make things happen. Decisions, teamwork, integration — none of these are optional and they have to happen, and quickly, to make certain the Games can be deserving of its title — the greatest show on earth. I say, embrace change, collaboration, integration — all of it.

Collaboration is a wonderful thing but, much like the old legacy word, it’s a very easy thing to say, much more difficult to put in practice. Our ongoing challenge is to continually challenge ourselves, to work together to make the cleverest, most creative and most integrated campaigns ever. Then afterwards? Keep on doing it, of course.

Not reading anything new? I completely agree, this thinking has been around for a long time. But — and it’s a big but — there’s a massive difference between thinking and doing. In the words of the most famous Olympic ambusher…

By Ben Wilkinson on August 26th, 2011

Tags: London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympics, Sponsorship, Sponsorship consultancy, Synergy

No comments

BMW challenged Synergy to develop a PR stunt that would combine their sponsorship of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and the London 2012 Games.

So we challenged former world number one golfer Martin Kaymer and three time Olympic medallist Steve Backley to go head-to-head in a multisport play-off from Wentworth’s first tee. With wedge and javelin in hand, Kaymer and Backley put their accuracy to the test in an attempt to land their shot nearest the pin at the venue for the BMW PGA Championship from May 26 – 29.

Both athletes were given three attempts to hit the pin which, at 60 metres, was comfortably within their reach. Despite Kaymer’s drives averaging over 260m and Backley having a world record breaking throw of 91.46m to his name, precision rather than distance was the aim for the BMW Nearest the Pin challenge. With all shots taken, Kaymer was announced the overall winner, beating Backley with a comprehensive score of 3-0.

Check out the video of the guys in action, below:

By Caroline Ayling on May 18th, 2011

Tags: BMW, Golf, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship, Olympics, PGA Tour, PR, Public relations, Sponsorship, Sponsorship consultancy, Sport, Team GB

No comments

I for one was pleased to see the recent news that FIBA has given the British Basketball Team the chance to represent Team GB at the Games in 2012 – a result that sees Team GB represented in all sports at  London 2012. This also means that  Britain will field a basketball team at London 2012 for the first time since last hosting the Games in 1948.

By allowing Team GB to compete, FIBA has given British Basketball another platform from which to shout about their brilliant sport. A sport that has the potential to be huge in this country.

GB's NBA star - Luol Deng

Basketball in Britain has struggled to grab the attention of young men and women on a mass scale like Football does, but in recent years, the tables seem to be turning and there is an ever increasing interest in the sport as a whole. Andy Hunt, chief executive of the British Olympic Association rightly pointed out that ‘FIBA’s decision is recognition for years of hard work British Basketball have put in on and off the court’.

Interest in the sport has undoubtedly been fuelled by images of David Beckham and his boys courtside at the LA Lakers. For others, it might be down to hit US TV shows like One Tree Hill. But one of the biggest factors has to be the introduction of the NBA Europe Live at the O2.

David Beckham attends Lakers game with sons

For those unfamiliar with the NBA’s foray to British shores, they made basketball history when the first-ever regular-season games were held in Europe, between the New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors at The O2 in London this year.

It was quite a spectacle and a great advert for the game in the UK and now, with the news that FIBA have allowed Team GB a place in 2012, British Basketball has another reason to shout about its beloved game.

NBA at the O2

I will certainly be looking to get some tickets in the Olympic ticket ballot and why don’t you?

(If you’re not into Basketball, maybe this will change your mind! Check out the Toronto Raptors mascot in action, below…)

By Jonathan Gale on March 15th, 2011

Tags: Athletics, BBC, Blogging, BOA, David Beckham, Default, London 2012 sponsorship, Sport, Team GB, YouTube

No comments

I enjoyed my tube ride in this morning, a rare thing indeed. Maybe it’s all the work TFL is doing to upgrade the service in time for the arrival of the greatest show on earth; London 2012.

Actually, it wasn’t that, but it was the sight of many Londoners excitedly flicking through their Metro in the knowledge that London 2012 Olympic Games tickets are now on sale. Of course a major landmark for any Games.

For sponsors, and of course ambushers, this is also a major moment in the London 2012 time-line. We will now begin to see a major raise in public awareness and excitement for the Games, ever increasing as the days and weeks tick away towards the major momentum shifter; when the Olympic Torch Relay arrives on UK shores on Friday 18 May 2012, taking the experience to an entirely new level.

For me, today marks the beginning, the beginning of the activation opportunity in earnest.  It’s the time to start the real work, to maximum impact in the swell of  national interest,  tapping into what will be an ever increasing public passion for the Games, between now and the end of 2012.  The Games will be a exceptional time in Great Britain’s history, a rare time when the nation will unite as one and brands who create a role as part of this unique experience will, in my view, be the big winners.

Today we’ve seen a host of tactical brand activity to support LOCOG’s major announcement, and rightly so, but I believe the brands who make the biggest impact will be those brave enough to stand alone.  Of course, this will include activation around the major landmarks, but what I mean is creating something that is truly unique to provide something inspiring and jaw droppingly engaging for a public that will be craving rich content that was previously unimaginable.

For now though, we’ll focus on a quick summary of some of the announcements and activity of the last 24 hours:

Omega unveiled a giant countdown clock in Trafalgar Square last night (14 March) to mark the landmark.  The clock – which measures 6.5 metres high by 5.5m wide, weighs nearly five tonnes and features LED lighting strips of varying colour for night time viewing – started ticking over today and will be in place until the end of the Paralympics on September 14th 2012.

Team GB has launched a new website to celebrate the 500 days to go milestone and will focus on the new message Our Greatest Team

LOCOG has announced tickets are on sale: London 2012 Tickets

Brands, including BMW, have run some fantastic tactical advertising to support the milestone.

By Ben Wilkinson on March 15th, 2011

Tags: Advertising, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic Torch Relay, Sponsorship consultancy, Synergy, Team GB

No comments

Every morning the Synergy PR team huddles in the corner of the office to talk through the good, bad and sometimes ugly PR stories that grace the pages of our national newspapers.

As a generous group of marketing professionals, we decided to start sharing our favourite stories with you every Friday. We’ll pick our favourite stories from the week and tell you why they have made the cut.

We’d welcome your feedback too. Do you agree with our picks? Do you think we have missed a story? Drop us a comment below and let us know.

So kicking off the inaugural Synergy PR round-up, below are this week’s picks…

Comic Relief – ‘Girl on Wire’:

Now in its 26th year, the Comic Relief PR machine is still delivering exciting stories. This week saw blanket coverage for Comic Relief’s ‘Girl on Wire’ stunt, which saw Blue Peter’s Helen Skelton walk a high-wire between the chimneys of Battersea Power Station. The petite blonde was the perfect choice to hoist above the towers (a task most grown men would baulk at) and the location provided a dramatic backdrop. Take these elements mixed with a great cause and lo, you have the perfect PR picture stunt.

Disney Dream Portraits:

This week Disney released its second instalment of Annie Leibovitz‘s Disney Dream Portraits, a series of celebrities posing as some of the best loved Disney characters. Ok, I admit it; I’m a huge Disney fan. It takes very little for this brand to impress me. However Disney have taken a simple idea and executed it to an extremely high standard and it has paid off.

Only Annie Leibovitz could capture the ‘magic’ of Disney whilst adding a modern look and feel, so they signed her up. Similarly the ‘models’ posing in the photos are genuine A list celebrities who have been perfectly chosen to play out the characters. Penelope Cruz as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Julianne Moore as Ariel from The Little Mermaid and only Queen Latifah could feature Ursula the Sea Witch, also from The Little Mermaid.

So, the next time you are visiting Synergy Towers, why not pop in a little earlier and join our 9.15am paper meeting! The above examples are a mere snippet of the stories we discuss day in and day out. If that’s not enough of a lure, we promise to make you a cup of coffee and we will even let you get first pick of the papers – and if you’re super keen and land here before 9am, you can even sample ENGINE‘s free breakfast…

By Jennifer Mitton on March 4th, 2011

Tags: Charity, Communications, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship, Olympics, PR, Public relations, Sport, Team GB

No comments

The London 2012 velodrome was officially unveiled on Tuesday to universal media acclaim. Quite right too: it is a stunning creation. The media coverage also confirmed that the velodrome has already acquired a widespread media nickname because of its distinctive roof: the Pringle.

To those of us who work in Olympic marketing, this is more than somewhat ironic. Without paying a penny, courtesy of the media,  Pringles has annexed a priceless piece of Olympic real estate.

Famously, the IOC keeps the Olympics as a spectacle free of brand names and presence: this is key to the Games’ DNA. Not that the spectacle actually is brand-free of course. There are the equipment manufacturers’ logos on every athlete’s clothing and footwear, and the branding and clocks of the official timekeeper Omega are very visible. But it’s pretty close.

This ban on branding extends to all buildings used for Olympic events. Thus, for the period of the Games, the O2 will be de-branded and given a neutral name. Whatever it’s called, we’ll all still call it ‘The O2’ of course: you can’t turn the clock back. But BT, and none of the other London 2012 sponsors, wouldn’t have signed up without this type of protection – and let’s not forget the global and domestic sponsors are together providing close to £2billion – 18% – of London 2012’s funding.

Which brings me to the second irony: the Pringles brand is actually owned by one of the global sponsors of the Olympics, Procter & Gamble. What a nice bonus this is for them: it will be interesting to see if they take extra advantage of their good fortune.

So, will ‘The Pringle’ stick? Will it spread from a media nickname (coined by PA reporter Helen William, according to this blog by BBC London’s Olympics Correspondent Adrian Warner) into the consumer mainstream? Only time will tell.

One thing’s for sure: if the powers that be decide, as expected, to sell the naming rights to the velodrome after the Games, I have a feeling I know who they’ll call first.

By Tim Crow on February 23rd, 2011

Tags: Brand marketing, Cycling, Default, Design, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Naming Rights, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympics, Sponsorship, Team GB

No comments

I was at St Pancras last week and, before getting on Eurostar, I thought I would have a nose around the London 2012 merchandise shop which is now open at the station.  I was witness to a customer who wanted to buy three items but, because he didn’t have a Visa card, he couldn’t pay for them.  The sales assistant, in the nicest-possible way, told him that he could only pay by Visa because Visa is a sponsor of the London Olympics and has an exclusive agreement to be the only method of payment for all things Olympic.

The customer was deeply unhappy.  He returned his three items to the shelf and stomped out in a distinctly frosty mood.

I was left wondering what this incident had achieved for Visa?  One very unhappy customer, certainly, and one whom I bet will never willingly use a Visa card in the future.  As far as ‘brand love’ goes, there was none -  ‘brand hate’  would be a more appropriate term.

And it won’t be the only such incident because I’m willing to bet that potential ticket purchasers in London and around the UK are suddenly realising that they need a Visa card to buy tickets.  Applications are probably coming in thick and fast and Visa must be smiling.  But will they still be smiling once the Olympics have finished?  That’s the big question.

I’m an Olympics nut and, as such, some time ago I applied for and got a Visa card in order to be ready and able.  Will I use it beyond the Olympics?  Probably not.  Will I love the brand more because it is associated with the Olympics?  I might.

I don’t think customers will fully understand the reasons behind Visa’s exclusivity at The Olympics and there will be resentment at being made to use their card.  Visa’s is a TOP Sponsorship deal, meaning it was negotiated by the IOC and no doubt the exclusivity clause meant that the price could be increased.  Don’t be surprised to see such exclusive use clauses disappear in the future as brands realise that customers denied choice are not happy, returning customers.

By Karen Earl on February 23rd, 2011

Tags: London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship, Olympics, Sponsorship

1 comment