beIN SPORTS, the world-class sports network, has won three Silver Clio Sports Awards for their Andrés Iniesta #Farewell Jersey, the first commemorative jersey signed by fans through an innovative use of Instagram. The activation, created in partnership with VMLY&R Miami, received three Silver awards in the categories of Digital/Mobile, Direct, and Social Media.
After 21 years of playing for FC Barcelona, Andres Iniesta’s retirement announcement from the club shook soccer fans and athletes worldwide. In a fully organic, integrated and proactive social media campaign, beIN SPORTS encouraged fans to bid farewell to Iniesta by adding their signature to the Farewell Jersey through Instagram Stories. Thousands of signatures were received, but only one thousand fans were lucky enough to have theirs included on the one-of-a-kind jersey which was presented to Andres Iniesta as a gift on behalf of beIN SPORTS and its fans.
“We are grateful and honored to receive these three prestigious Clio Sports awards for our efforts to connect Iniesta with his passionate fans and give them a unique opportunity to bid farewell to this amazing player,” said Antonio Briceño, Deputy Managing Director of beIN SPORTS USA and Canada, “As the sole broadcaster of LaLiga featuring FC Barcelona, we knew we had to create an experience unlike any other and we did. This successful campaign broke our Engagement Rate benchmark by 95%.”
Julian Roca, VP Managing Director of VMLY&R Miami stated, “Iniesta’s retirement was a major cultural event and we wanted to connect fans with their idol through one of their preferred social platforms. This was a truly connected brand experience.”
Federico Hauri, VP Executive Creative Director of VMLY&R Miami added, “Farewell Jersey is one of those special, social-first ideas that lives in the intersection of creativity, culture, and technology. We are very proud of this work.”
Clio Sports was launched to honor the best in sports advertising and marketing. Annually, a veritable Who's Who of the sports business — marketing executives, commissioners, broadcasters and athletes alike — convenes to select from an international pool of submissions, the breakthrough communications that elevated sports culture in the collective consciousness.
The story of the Farewell Jersey can be seen in this film narrated by beIN SPORTS’s Ray Hudson, a sports journalist beloved for his poetic yet bombastic commentary.
About beIN SPORTS USA
Launched in 2012, beIN SPORTS offers viewers world-class sports content and entertainment across multiple platforms including TV channels beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español and live streaming on beIN SPORTS CONNECT. A cornerstone of beIN SPORTS is its unrivaled live soccer coverage, which includes live matches from LaLiga, Ligue 1, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa Sudamericana, Copa del Rey, Coupe de France, Turkish Süper Lig, Africa Cup of Nations, CAF Confederation Cup, CAF Champions League and International Friendlies as well as news and in-depth analysis of all the top leagues from around the world. In addition to soccer, beIN SPORTS serves as a haven for fans of motorsports, tennis, boxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts (MMA), track & field, swimming, skiing and handball, among others. Through beIN SPORTS CONNECT, authenticated subscribers can also enjoy all the exciting action from the two networks and stream live overflow matches offered in HD on their computer, tablet or smartphone. For more information, visit www.beinsports.com.
ABOUT VMLY&R
VMLY&R is a global marketing agency that harnesses creativity, technology and culture to create connected brands. The agency is made up of nearly 7,000 employees worldwide with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Miami, Missouri, London, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney.
VMLY&R Miami works with client partners across the United States, the growing Hispanic market, and Latin America such as Apex Tool Group, beIN SPORTS, Cable & Wireless Communications, Chevron, Dell, Mazda, Pfizer, Quicken Loans and Wendy's.
