GambleAware has appointed M&C Saatchi as the lead creative advertising agency for the charity’s upcoming safer gambling campaign.
The successful pitch from M&C Saatchi came after GambleAware announced in February that it is seeking a “new creative direction”.
“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,” GambleAware said in a statement.
“It followed a competitive procurement process, independently facilitated by the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers.”
To support its upcoming UK marketing initiatives, the charity created a new advisory board to oversee the progress and to further assess the impact of its safer gambling campaign.
The advisory board includes members from Public Health England, the Welsh government’s public health community and leading academic experts.
M&C Saatchi will be supported by Atlas Partners, GambleAware’s existing communications agency, which will design and deliver a complementary public relations campaign.
Giles Hedger, CEO of M&C Saatchi, 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 said that London agency 18 Feet and Rising will be retained as the lead for its legacy BeGambleAware UK campaign.
Professor Sian Griffiths, deputy chair of Public Health England (interim) and trustee and chair of the Safer Gambling Campaign Board, added: “GambleAware is committed to reducing harms associated with gambling and to take a public health approach.
“Advertising is an important part of raising awareness and we hope the campaign will play its role, in collaboration with other sectors of society.”
