NEW YORK, July 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Ketchum Sports & Entertainment (KSE), a division of Ketchum, a leading global public relations firm, won a Grand CLIO Sports Award for its campaign aimed at saving Olympic Wrestling at last night's inaugural CLIO Sports Awards ceremony held in New York City. The work done on behalf of the Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling (CPOW) and USA Wrestling, helped reverse the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to remove the sport from the Olympic Games in just seven short months.

"Together with the team from CPOW and USA Wrestling, we are proud to have changed the course of wrestling history by helping secure its rightful place back on the Olympic Games program beyond the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," said Ketchum Sports & Entertainment partner and managing director Ann Wool. "We dedicate this award to the youth around the world who can now continue to pursue their dreams of Olympic gold in the ancient sport of wrestling."

In February of 2013, KSE was tasked with helping Olympic Wrestling make a bid for inclusion after it was ousted from Olympic competition by the International Olympic Committee. The agency quickly jumped into action, executing a global PR effort that through a mix of high-profile events - like "Rumble on the Rails" held at Grand Central Terminal - grassroots media outreach and a refreshed social strategy, helped change the face of Olympic wrestling and ultimately saved the sport for future Olympic wrestlers around the world.

"Our sport which goes back to the very beginning of the Olympic Games was for the first time in our history facing an uncertain future. We knew we had to act quickly and choose the right partners in order to switch the decision," said Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling. "Obviously we are thrilled we partnered with KSE to achieve our goal and this award is truly icing on the cake in an amazing year for our sport."

KSE's Olympic Wrestling campaign has been a favorite at many PR and marketing award shows this year winning honors at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, PRWeek Global Awards and more. A full list of the campaign's honors includes:

Cannes Lions Festival:


    --  BRONZE: CRISIS & ISSUES
    --  "Rumble on the Rails"
    --  Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling, International
        Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles and USA Wrestling with Ketchum
        Sports & Entertainment

PRWeek Global Awards: 


    --  ISSUES & CRISIS
    --  "Keeping Olympic Wrestling in the Ring"
    --  Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling, USA Wrestling and
        International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles with Ketchum
        Sports & Entertainment

Silver Anvil Awards: 


    --  CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS - ASSOCIATIONS/ NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
    --  "Keeping Olympic Wrestling in the Ring"
    --  Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling, USA Wrestling and
        International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles with Ketchum
        Sports & Entertainment

These award wins follow a number of high honors bestowed to Ketchum as an agency in the last year. Earlier this month, Ketchum and its clients captured eight Americas SABRE Awards, winning more awards than any other firm for the second consecutive year. In March, Ketchum won PRWeek's Campaign of the Year Award along with three additional PRWeek Awards on behalf of its client work. In 2013, Ketchum was named Holmes Report's EMEA Consultancy of the Year and was recognized for winning more awards than any other public relations agency at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and at the Public Relations Society of America's Silver Anvil Awards ceremony, bringing home nine awards in both cases.

About Ketchum

Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 14 Cannes Lions and an unprecedented four PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc., visit www.ketchum.com.

About the DAS Group of Companies

The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

SOURCE Ketchum; Ketchum Sports & Entertainment