M&C Saatchi appointed to £100m VisitBritain campaign
M&C Saatchi has been appointed to VisitBritain's £100m “You’re Invited” marketing campaign to generate interest around the royal wedding, the 2012 Olympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Paralympic Games.
Tasked to promote the "period of exception opportunity for tourism marketing", the agency will work on a pro bono basis for the first five months before the campaign begins in May and will be responsible for digital advertising development and production, social media development and management, guidelines development and campaign monitoring, research strategy and effectiveness.
British companies including British Airways, lastminute.com and P&O have pledged to contribute to the £100m marketing budget following the chancellor’s decision to cut VisitBritain’s budget by 34 per cent over the next four years.
VisitBritain marketing director Laurence Bresh said of M&C Saatchi’s appointment: "We are very excited to be working with one of the world’s most creative agencies – alongside some of the greatest companies in the tourism industry – on this landmark campaign. Recruiting M&C Saatchi to work on this account underlines the scale of our ambition to produce the best tourism marketing campaign that has ever been mounted by a host nation around an Olympic Games."