M&C Saatchi to Partner with GambleAware Following Winning Pitch
Author:
Jacob McKenzie
The London-based, public health experienced agency has been selected to create the upcoming safer gambling campaign for GambleAware, using a ‘mindful’ approach.
In February, GambleAware put out a call for a new creative marketing agency to lead an up to ￡7 million television advertising account. This safer gambling campaign will run for two years in the UK. Public Health Interim Chair and Safer Gambling Campaign Board chair, Professor Sian Griffiths said: “GambleAware is committed to reducing harms associated with gambling and to taking a public health approach.”
An image from the ‘Voices’ Campaign ?18 Feet
M&C Saatchi were chosen to take on the campaign for the following reasons, according to GambleAware: “The decision to select M&C Saatchi was based on their previous experience in public health, the quality of their pitch and its fidelity to the brief, the depth of their analysis and the expertise of their team. It followed a competitive procurement process, independently facilitated by the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA)”
The agency is known for several high-profile campaigns in the UK with brands such as NatWest, Royal Mail and Boots alongside many public health campaigns for AA, Change4Life, Surfers Against Sewage and CAFOD. In addition to M&C Saatchi, Atlas Partners, GambleAware’s existing communications agency, will be working on the campaign, tasked with creating a complementary public relations strategy to support it.
The CEO of M&C Saatchi, Giles Hedger said: “We are delighted to be playing our part in the creation of a more mindful gambling culture in the UK. This is a new and important chapter in the ongoing balancing of market freedoms and public health.”
GambleAware will maintain its relationship with 18 Feet & Rising, the marketing agency behind the award-winning ‘Voices’ campaign directed by Tom Tagholm, with the company remaining as lead corporate creative for daily operations.
On the creation and success of the campaign, 18 Feet said in a statement: “With gambling ad spend up 97% over the past five years and 1.39m gambling ads running last year, we needed to communicate the dangers of irresponsible gambling to the 450,000 young teenagers who gamble in the UK every week… The ‘Voices’ radio campaign is part of the multi-award winning (D&AD, Kinsale Shark, Creative Circle) campaign ‘Voices’ which began last year. The campaign has seen awareness for the charity within the target audience triple, with 57% now saying they would contact GambleAware if they had a gambling problem.”
Professor Griffiths also commented on hopes for the success of the campaign: “Advertising is an important part of raising awareness and we hope the campaign will play its role, in collaboration with other sectors of society.”
