The Endesa League launches major TV and print media advertising campaign after signing a sponsorship deal with the Spanish basketball league (ACB). Endesa's aim with the campaign is to transmit the idea that anything is possible at work and in sport by combining attitude and aptitude. The message is intended to reinforce the company's Blue Attitude concept of “making things happen”.
Juan Carlos Navarro (FC Barcelona Regal), Felipe Reyes (Real Madrid) and Jorge Garbajosa (Unicaja), with the help of Marcus, an 11 year-old boy, and the entire town of Turégano (Segovia) tell us a story in 60 seconds to present the Endesa League. After announcing the most important agreement in European basketball, which resulted in the Endesa League, the electric utility has prepared a launch which lives up to the stature of the players.
See the Endesa League commercial
A spectacular exhibition
The Endesa League raised the curtain with a high-powered presentation attended by professional basketball stars. The exhibition basketball match involved eighteen players (one from each club), four coaches and three professional referees and was held on a real size court set up in the atrium of the Endesa building. The percussion group, Toom Pak (who performed at the celebrations for Spain’s victory in the South African World Cup in 2010) also took part in the presentation event hosted by Juan Manuel López Iturriaga, alongside dance troupe “Dream Cheers” and acrobatic group “Crazy Dunkers”.
See pictures of the event
See event video
Endesa Chairman, Borja Prado (centre of the first row) with the team of 18 players from different Endesa League teams, members of the company's basketball team and official coaches at the presentation of the 2011-2012 Endesa League at Endesa's headquarters in Madrid.
Historic alliance in Spanish basketball
Endesa and the Spanish Basketball Association (ACB) have signed an agreement whereby the company will sponsor all officially organised ACB competitions from the start of the 2011-2012 season.
As a result of this strategic alliance, Endesa will be the first commercial brand to give its name to the ACB competition, in the almost thirty year history of the Spanish Basketball Association. The ACB League will now be known as the Endesa League, just as the first game of the season, the Super Cup, will now be known as the Endesa Super Cup.
The deal is for a minimum four year period, between 2011 and 2015, and may be extended for a further two years. This collaboration agreement is the most important to date in Spanish and European basketball. It will provide the ACB with much needed additional funds to allocate to member clubs for structural growth and sports development. In turn, this should improve the quality of the competition and, ultimately, the spectator experience.
Chairman of Endesa - Borja Prado
President of the ACB - Eduardo Portela
Why has Endesa chosen basketball as its main brand image strategy?
First, because basketball is considered the second biggest sport in terms of content and attendance and is a suitable platform to bring value to the form of brand positioning adopted by Endesa, based on messages and important concepts as those contained in its "Blue Attitude" campaign.
Second, because this sponsorship offers a great deal of exposure (for the first time in its history the Spanish Basketball League will have a company name), it has a clear leadership component (exclusively sponsor of a sport in which Spain excels internationally both at club and country level) and, like Endesa´s own brand strategy, it is an ongoing and long term project.
Third, because public perception of basketball connects with and reinforces some of the main attributes of the “Blue Attitude” campaign:
- It is an intelligent sport, in which tactics vary and change in each game.
- It is an innovative and modern sport, where rules and organisation are constantly changing to make it more attractive.
- It is a sport that perfectly demonstrates the importance of understanding and teamwork ahead of the individual.
- It is a household sport, with a strong family and youth element.
- It is a sport that reflects sporting values, in which violent incidents are exceptional.
Fourth, because it represents an efficient response to Endesa´s declared intention that its institutional advertising initiatives are an important part of its commercial strategy (and vice versa):
- The sponsorship offers key commercial and direct marketing possibilities in the stadiums during matches, with a potential attendance or more than five million people a season.
- The opportunities for public relations and hospitality provided by the agreement will facilitate the development of initiatives to encourage client loyalty (part of the company´s commercial strategy).
- The agreement opens the door to commercial promotional events in strategic sites outside stadiums.
- The most competitive teams in the ACB, with the largest fan base, are found in Endesa’s five traditional operating regions in Spain and in areas of commercial strategic importance for the company.
Fifth, because the image that this sponsorship gives in the different communications media and channels accurately reflects Endesa´s 360º strategy that it is promoting in its advertising campaigns: to build a presence in both general and specialised press, TV, foreign media, on line media (1.3 million individual users register on ACB´s digital platform each month),etc.
What objectives does Endesa expect to achieve with this deal?
- To further the process of strengthening and repositioning the Endesa brand name , which began in November 2010 with the "Blue Attitude" campaign, giving it a new and significant boost through an initiative that is extremely high-profile, original and different to any that the current campaign has used previously.
- Endesa will join, in a very visible way, the group of large Spanish companies that are big sport sponsors, thus confirming its position as one of the leading entities in the Spanish business world.
- To secure a key position in the sphere of sports sponsorship through a deep, long-term commitment to the sport with the second largest national league following in Spain.
- To underline the perception that Endesa is a deeply committed company with projects that are of interest and benefit to Spanish society.
- To achieve a high return on its investment in terms of recognition, value and brand impact.
www.acb.com