TORONTO, Canada (September 25, 2023) – The Sponsorship Marketing Council Canada (SMCC) announced the recipients of the 2023 Sponsorship Marketing Awards (SMAs) at the awards ceremony held yesterday evening at the Globe and Mail Centre. The annual awards ceremony honours top tier properties, brands and agencies who have positively shifted the landscape of sponsorship marketing through not only meaningful connections with communities across Canada, but also through elevating business standards to drive brand and business results.
“The submissions this year were truly innovative, creative, and well-presented cases. As co- chairs we were proud to work with such an esteemed judging panel representing industry experts from all corners of the country. The submissions were all deeply considered, and we’re pleased to see the winners recognized at the Sponsorship Marketing Awards show,” said SMAs Judging Co-Chairs, Fiona O’Brien and Jacqueline Ryan.
“The SMAs are our chance for an industry and friends to get together and highlight the most impactful campaigns from the past 12 months – be it in-person in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or those who followed along from the comfort of their own homes. The great work highlighted this evening serves to inspire, challenging brands and properties to think even bigger over the upcoming year,” said SMAs Co-Chairs, Tim Ritcey and Andrew Westbrook.
“Sponsorship marketing is just starting to hit its stride! More than ever, we are embracing passion-points and bringing innovation and creativity into how we connect with people in ways that matter most to them. The SMAs is the spotlight of these efforts and exemplifies best-in-class partnerships and programs today, setting us up for an amplified tomorrow,” said SMCC Chair, Neal Covant.
The 2023 SMCC Sponsorship Marketing Award winners are as follows:
ARTS & CULTURE
Gold: The Hockey Jersey (Scotiabank)
Award of Distinction: Sprite FAM Zone (MLSE)
BEST NEW INITIATIVE
Gold: Hilton on the Green (Golf Canada)
Award of Distinction: Her Cheklist (Canadian Tire Corp.)
BEST NEW INNOVATION
Award of Distinction: OLG Game Plan (GroupM / EssenceMediacom Sports & Entertainment, and OLG)
EVENTS & FESTIVALS
Gold: Toronto Ultra Major III, Powered by Bell: Canada’s First Call of Duty League Event (Overactive Media)
Award of Distinction: RBC Canadian Open (RBC and Golf Canada)
MUSIC
Gold: RBCxMusic – 2022 Music Festivals Activation (RBC)
Award of Distinction: Kids Help Phone: Feel Out Loud (Kids Help Phone and Kids Help Phone and Paquin Entertainment)
PURPOSE-LED SPONSORSHIP
Gold: Tim Hortons and Special Olympics Donut Campaign (Special Olympics)
Award of Distinction: Treat Accessibly (Canadian Tire Corp.)
REGIONAL
Gold: Giuseppe – Practice with a Pro (GroupM / EssenceMediacom Sports & Entertainment)
Award of Distinction: Au cœur de nos célébrations Program (CIBC and Montreal Canadians)
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Gold: The Hockey Jersey (Scotiabank)
Award of Distinction: NBA Creators presented by Microsoft (NBA Canada)
SPORTS – BUDGET $500K and BELOW
Gold: Au cœur de nos célébrations Program (CIBC and Montreal Canadians)
Award of Distinction: Jumpstart Keep Her In Play Campaign (Canadian Tire Corp.)
SPORTS – BUDGET OVER $501K
Gold: Subway Canada x NBA Canada x Toronto Raptors x Scottie Barnes (MKTG, Subway, and NBA Canada)
Award of Distinction: theScore Bet Skyline Seats – 2022 RBC Canadian Open (SDI Sports and theScore)
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
Gold: Air Canada Fan Flight (Wasserman)
Award of Distinction: CPKC Women’s Open (Wasserman)
TALENT OR AMBASSADOR
Gold: Mitch’s Dishes (Skip the Dishes and Wasserman)
Award of Distinction: Subway Canada x Scottie Barnes (MKTG and Subway)
PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Gold: Golf Canada Professional Championships (Golf Canada)
AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Gold: Wasserman
BEST IN SHOW
Gold: The Hockey Jersey (Scotiabank)
For more information, please contact:
Sponsorship Marketing Council Canada
647.748.3615 x 1
About Sponsorship Marketing Council Canada (SMCC):
The Sponsorship Marketing Council Canada (SMCC) was created in 2004 to drive advancements in the field of sponsorship marketing. The SMCC’s mission is to help brands, agencies and properties unleash the power of sponsorship marketing through education in best practices, networking and celebrating success.
Twitter: @SMCC_CCC, #SMAs2023
Instagram: @SMCC_CCC
LinkedIn: SMCC – Sponsorship Marketing Council Canada