North America team recognised in multiple categories

Tis the season for winning awards, it would seem! The hard work and efforts of our teams in North America have been honoured across a range of different awards in the past month, providing the perfect climax to another extraordinary year.

From the Shorty Awards to Digiday, Comcast to Sports Business Journal, the industry’s major players have been lining up to celebrate our work, as well as the individuals key to its success.

Hoop fan or not, HBO Max’s hit show Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, has thrilled audiences across America this year. Chronicling the personal and professional lives of the 1980 ‘Showtime’ Los Angeles Lakers, the series dramatizes the growth of one of sport’s most revered and dominant dynasties, whilst also providing a window into a glorious decade during which the NBA went from national pastime to a global product.

In the lead up to its launch, we worked alongside HBO Max to create two experiences promoting the show which were nominated in four separate awards categories.

The first – Winning Time Takes the Court – was nominated as a finalist in both the Corporate-Community Impact and Best Micro-Influencer categories at the prestigious Shorty Awards, emerging victorious in the latter category to provide us with our own ‘winning time’ moment.

For this activation, we worked with the City of Inglewood, Los Angeles County, Project Blackboard and local artist, David Flores, to transform a local basketball court. The Roger’s Park basketball court was upgraded into a “Winning Time” masterpiece that will provide an inspiring space for the next generation of basketball fans and players in Inglewood to use for years to come.

The campaign is also nominated in the Best Use of Influencer Marketing category at the Digiday Awards, with results announced in mid-December. Watch a video of how that came together below.

The nominations have not stopped there, with the All Star Weekend experience that we ran together with HBO Max also up for an award in the Best Experiential Campaign at the Digiday Awards.

To promote the premiere of the show, the All Star Weekend was an exclusive event attended by 200 influencers including athletes, sports personalities and hype beasts, helping generate some much-deserved buzz around the eagerly anticipated series.

Yet, we know the work we create is only as good as the brains behind it, and it’s been fantastic to see key members of the CSM team also recognised by the industry. Each year, SBJ celebrates the best young talent shaping the future of the sports industry and we were thrilled to see Gina Hagedorn and Avery Decker honoured at their respective ceremonies in November. Gina is part of the Forty Under 40 Class of 2022, whilst Avery was named as one of SBJ’s New Voices Under 30. A huge congratulations to both.

And last, but very much not least, Jess Ferreira – Senior Director of Live Shows in our Production team, was named the 2022 Comcast Community Champion of the Year for her tireless work with Foster Village Charlotte.

The award recognises individuals within the NASCAR community who are positively impacting local communities, with the winner selected by a panel of NASCAR executives alongside last year’s champion. Jes – who became a foster parent for the first time during the pandemic – is just the 8th recipient of the award, and in doing so has earned Foster Village Charlotte a contribution of $60,000. An incredible effort for an incredible cause. Well done, Jes!