Smart feted with award for FIBA World Cup 'MOA Ball'

MANILA, Philippines – Mobile services provider Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) has bagged a bronze in the prestigious 2023 CLIO Sports Awards for turning the iconic SM Mall of Asia landmark in Pasay City into a giant basketball to serve as a massive welcome to the FIBA World Cup 2023, the world’s biggest basketball tournament, last August.

CLIO Sports honors the best in sports advertising and marketing worldwide every year. This is the first CLIO Sports recognition for Smart, which is also the only Filipino brand in this year’s list of winners, alongside world-leading brands such as Adidas, ESPN, NBA, NFL, Nike, Under Armour and Xbox, among others.

“We dedicate this recognition to all basketball-loving Filipinos, whose passion for the sport inspired the world-class MOA Ball,” said Lloyd Manaloto, FVP and Head of Prepaid and Content at Smart.

“Basketball is deeply embedded in our culture, and it is only fitting that we build a world-class and larger-than-life basketball tribute for one of the biggest international sports events hosted by the Philippines. We share this award with all those who worked tirelessly to turn our vision into reality,” he added.

As FIBA global partner, Smart unveiled the MOA Ball last August 15 to amplify the excitement of fans ahead of the FIBA World Cup 2023 opening.

A total of 248 workers composed of site workers, engineers, safety officers, and designers built the captivating installation, which measured 1.5 meters in diameter inside a ring with 111 meters in circumference, readily visible from airplanes flying to and from the Manila during the international tournament.

The MOA Ball left an indelible impression on FIBA World Cup 2023 delegates and fans, who shared photos and videos of the landmark on their social media accounts.

Prior to bagging the CLIO Sports award, Smart also scored a ‘Best Outdoor Ad’ recognition for the MOA Ball from BestAdsOnTV.com, which monitors the world's best ads, last September.

Basketball fans can look forward to more world-class activations as Smart and FIBA have renewed their global partnership until after the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in Qatar.