Octagon Marketing launched a dedicated Global Events & Hospitality Division with Matthieu Fenaert at the helm. Building off success with the World Cup and Olympic clients, the new division will use Octagon's global team to create events and experiences for clients (Octagon).
Inter Milan partnered with Acque Minerali d'Italia, the beverage group belonging to the Pessina family which owns brands such as Norda and Gaudianello. The deal makes the Sangemini brand the club's official water for the next three seasons (Inter Milan).
La Liga side Rayo Vallecano signed a two-year agreement with loan agency Creditea, whose logo will appear on the back of the club's shirt. Creditea will also have a presence on Rayo Vallecano's website and at its training facility (EXPANSIÓN, 9/27).
WPP CEO Mark Read merged two of the company's "most prominent" advertising agencies "in an attempt to simplify its sprawling structure." Read is uniting Young & Rubicam and VML, a digital agency. The new outfit, called VMLY&R, will employ 7,000 people. WPP has been "facing concerns that it has become too unwieldy to thrive in the industry" because of the shift to digital (LONDON TIMES, 9/27).
Petronas expanded its presence in MotoGP after reaching an agreement with Dorna Sports that gives the Malaysian company trackside advertising at the Sepang Int'l Circuit and Chang Int'l Circuit -- hosts to the Malaysia and Thailand Grands Prix, respectively (MotoGP).
The British Esports Association launched an initiative to bridge esports and traditional sports. The association partnered with the West Ham United Foundation, GAME Digital, London Sport and Archery GB for a one-week pilot, which aims to demonstrate the similarities between competitive video gaming and physical sports (British Esports Association).
