The round-the-world yacht race starts in November and marks the first time the company has undertaken a major international sports marketing campaign.
The aim of the sponsorship programme, which involves the bank entering a two-boat team in the race, is to raise the profile of the ABN AMRO brand and unify the bank’s various business units around the world.
Pitch has been appointed on a 12-month contract to create and oversee an international PR strategy for the campaign.
It will be responsible for maximising publicity opportunities, managing all media requests during the race including crisis communications and running a press office and press conferences at stop over ports.
Pitch will work in conjunction with ABN AMRO’s existing PR agencies in their three home markets, such as Golin Harris in the US, and will also be responsible for implementing a proactive consumer PR campaign in the UK and France.
The Volvo Ocean Race starts in Vigo, Spain on November 12, 2005 and finishes in Gothenburg in July 2006. The race covers 32,000 miles, with stopovers at Cape Town, Melbourne, Wellington, Rio, Baltimore, New York, Portsmouth and Rotterdam.
