--- title: "Butterfly \"The Art of Table Tennis - A Tribute to Timo Boll\" | 8th Hashtag Sports Awards" description: Global awards recognizing excellence in fan engagement and celebrating creativity across sports marketing, media & entertainment image: https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-AF-2025/NpAPxkPP-kNLhbGkcJX-file.jpg --- Butterfly "The Art of Table Tennis - A Tribute to Timo Boll" | 8th Hashtag Sports Awards [The 8th Annual Awards](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2026?hsLang=en) # Butterfly "The Art of Table Tennis - A Tribute to Timo Boll" [Jung von Matt](https://www.jvm.com) ![Image](https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-AF-2025/NpAPxkPP-kNLhbGkcJX-file.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&name=NpAPxkPP-kNLhbGkcJX-file.jpg) Share [** ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2026%2Fbutterfly-the-art-of-table-tennis-a-tribute-to-timo-boll-1) [** ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2026%2Fbutterfly-the-art-of-table-tennis-a-tribute-to-timo-boll-1&text=Butterfly+%22The+Art+of+Table+Tennis+-+A+Tribute+to+Timo+Boll%22+%7C+8th+Hashtag+Sports+Awards) [** ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2026%2Fbutterfly-the-art-of-table-tennis-a-tribute-to-timo-boll-1) ABOUT THIS ENTRY We transformed Timo Boll's original table tennis rackets into hand-carved linocut artworks, turning his 30-year career into a lasting monument. Each racket became a printing plate for fine art prints, ads, and a commemorative brochure – elevating Butterfly's farewell from campaign to cultural artifact. How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"? This project redefines fan engagement by treating fans not as an audience to message, but as collectors of cultural artifacts worth preserving. Traditional sports marketing celebrates athletes through temporary campaigns – social posts, ads, commercials that fade when the buzz dies. We created something fans could own forever: hand-carved art prints that immortalize Timo Boll's greatest moments. When all prints and merchandise sold out within 48 hours, fans weren't just buying memorabilia – they were securing pieces of table tennis history. The Berlin Art Week exhibition transformed passive spectators into active participants in preserving sporting legacy. Fans traveled from across Germany and abroad not to watch content, but to experience craft. Two original rackets auctioned for charity turned engagement into tangible impact for the next generation of athletes. Social conversation shifted from nostalgia to craftsmanship – posts across Butterfly's and Timo Boll's channels sparked discussions about the intersection of sport, art, and legacy. This sets a new benchmark: engagement doesn't end when campaigns end. By elevating sport into enduring art, we proved brands can create cultural artifacts that fans treasure permanently – transforming fleeting moments into lasting monuments. Objective After 30 years at the top, Timo Boll was ending his legendary career. His longtime partner Butterfly wanted to honor him in a special way. Strategy & Execution Farewells fade. Legacies endure. We didn’t want Butterfly to get lost in the media noise surrounding Timo Boll’s  Our goal was to create something worthy of his life’s work: precise, enduring, and handcrafted. Ultimately, we didn’t just launch a campaign, we built a monument. We turned Timo Boll's original table tennis rackets into hand-carved linocut artworks. Each one tells a defining moment of his career. The rackets were used plates for fine art prints. After his final match, we surprised Timo with the first unique pieces. The hand-printed motifs were scanned and used at a 1:1 scale in the layouts for print ads, a poster, and a brochure. An exhibition during Berlin Art Week turned a personal thank-you into a public tribute. ** Nominations ** - Most Creative Partnership with an Athlete or Influencer **Organizations** - Jung von Matt - Hochkant Film - Tamasu Butterfly Europa GmbH **Links** - [  Website ](https://timoboll.art/) **Featured** - Timo Boll **Credits** **[ Hiroshi Kimura](https://de.butterfly.tt) ** Marketing Tamasu Butterfly Europa GmbH **[ Wolfgang Gerth](https://de.butterfly.tt) ** Key Account Manager Tamasu Butterfly Europa GmbH **[ Daniel Schweinzer](https://www.jvm.com) ** Managing Creative Director Jung von Matt **[ Lukas Liske](https://www.jvm.com) ** Managing Creative Director Jung von Matt **[ Saydan Celik](https://www.jvm.com) ** Head of Design Jung von Matt **[ Arne Stach](https://www.jvm.com) ** Creative Direction Jung von Matt **[ Nicolas Linde](https://www.jvm.com) ** Creative Direction Jung von Matt **[ Saydan Celik](https://www.jvm.com) ** Illustration Jung von Matt **[ Maximillian Schmidt](https://www.jvm.com) ** Art Direction Jung von Matt **[ Dennis Mayerhoeffer](https://www.jvm.com) ** Design Jung von Matt **[ Marten Finster](https://www.jvm.com) ** Copy Jung von Matt **[ Serif Karakoyun](https://www.jvm.com) ** Motion Design Jung von Matt **[ Levinia Haupt](https://www.jvm.com) ** Senior Project Manager Jung von Matt **[ Kassandra Haeffner](https://www.jvm.com) ** Junior Project Manager Jung von Matt **[ Adrian Luebbert](https://www.jvm.com) ** Project Manager Jung von Matt **[ Alexander Muenzer](https://www.jvm.com) ** Production Director Jung von Matt **[ Christina Hermann](https://www.jvm.com) ** Heads of Productions Jung von Matt **[ Oezden Uzun](https://www.jvm.com) ** Videographer Jung von Matt **[ Torben Brueggemann](https://www.jvm.com) ** Managing Director Jung von Matt **[ Alexander Kraft](https://www.jvm.com) ** PR Jung von Matt **[ Auro Stagge](https://www.hochkantfilm.de) ** Executive Producer Hochkant Film **[ Beat Schwiersch](https://www.hochkantfilm.de) ** DoP Hochkant Film **[ Malte Gehrmann](https://www.hochkantfilm.de) ** Camera assistant and light Hochkant Film **[ Friedemann Hertrampf](https://www.hochkantfilm.de) ** Photographer Hochkant Film #### INSPIRED TO ENTER WORK? 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