Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) MENA walked away with two awards at the recently-held Middle East Sports Industry Awards 2014 (SPIA); two of the group’s clients – Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM) and Adidas – received industry-wide recognition. Yas Marina Circuit won Gold in the Best Social Media in Sport and Bronze in the Best Sport CSR categories, while adidas took home a Gold for Best Sport Brand, for the second consecutive year.

“We are delighted to have won such accolades as recognition for the innovative communications solutions we deliver to our clients,” said in a statement John Antoniades, Chief Executive Officer of SMG MENA. “Sports campaigns targeted at youth demand a strong blend of creativity and strategic thinking. For both clients, we aimed to produce powerful content that would set the brands apart from competition – and drive engagement amongst consumers.”

Adidas is has won several awards at the Dubai Lynx and the recently held Festival of Media Global Awards in Rome. This winning streak continues from 2013 with wins at the MENA Cristal, SPIA, Dubai Lynx and Effie MENA festivals.

As the host of one of the biggest annual events in the UAE, the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ADMM had the challenge of establishing all channels as the authoritative voice and source for all information pertaining to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Social Media Hub that was developed was a first for ADMM. The Social Media Hub drives efficiency in the delivery of communications, contributing to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix garnering record sell-out status, as well as achieving #AbuDhabiGP as the fifth highest trending global hashtag on Twitter, amongst other achievements.