LONDON — Independent global agency W Communications has announced a launched a dedicated sports and entertainment PR division.

W Sports & Entertainment will be led by the agency’s longstanding sports specialist, Nick Fruin (pictured), reporting to co-CEOs Warren Johnson and Frankie Cory. Fruin’s team will focus on maximising existing brand rights and sponsorships within rugby, football and racing, as well as helping to immerse brands in sports culture.

The division will work with clients including Papa John's (football and rugby sponsorships), Carabao Energy Drink (the English Football League’s Carabao Cup), and Grenfell Athletic FC, as well as new client wins skiwear brand Planks and cyclewear company Endura.

W’s first work for Endura is a campaign to highlight the dangers of not wearing cycling helmets, with a series of helmets designed featuring brain injury scans from serious cycling accident victims, as part of the brand’s partnership with The Brain Charity.

Fruin said: “It's a dream to work with sports brands that allow us to challenge the existing playbook. Nowadays, you need to be bold to connect and grow an audience, and W has a rich history of delivering disruptive campaigns that drive fame.”

The agency has worked in sports activation since 2017 when it was briefed to introduce Major League Baseball to the UK through fashion, music, and food culture rather than focusing on the sport. The agency’s recent work in the sector has included unveiling Newbury Racecourse’s first female race commentator on track for over a decade as part of its new Ladies Day.

Johnson said: “We've been involved with some incredible sporting occasions over the years, so it makes sense to formalise our non-archetypal sports agency as clients recognise the need to push boundaries to deliver impact and return of investment.”