GolinHarris, Lowe, Initiative confirm their engagement to launch Plan International in Hong Kong
HONG KONG (May 4, 2009) — Leading public relations agency GolinHarris, 4A’s advertising agency Lowe, and media, marketing and digital company Initiative today announced that they have joined forces for the Hong Kong launch of Plan International, a global aid agency working for children in developing countries. The appointment of the IPG team follows the March multi-agency pitch led by Plan’s Australian marketing director and its senior management in Hong Kong.
Lead teams from the three agencies will work with Plan to launch the new office.
Together with Plan’s newly appointed CEO for Hong Kong Mr. James Murray, GolinHarris, Lowe and Initiative have developed an integrated campaign that focuses on Plan’s legacy in the territory. Plan first operated in Hong Kong from 1959 to 1971 working with child beneficiaries, many of whom were refugees from China and, later, Vietnam.
The agencies have developed a campaign which will launch a search for Hong Kong’s Plan children from that period asking the questions: “were you a Plan child?”
“This campaign highlights the contributions Plan made toward the Hong Kong most of us know today,” said GolinHarris Deputy Managing Director Jacinta Reddan. “Plan first came here when this was a beneficiary territory, but Hong Kong’s rising prosperity over the past several decades has now seen it become a donor market. So through Plan, we see a remarkable story of the tenacity of Hong Kong’s people.”
“This concept of Hong Kong people now being in a position to “pass on” their good fortune having come so far in such a short time is one of the key creative ideas in our campaign,” said Caroline Slocombe, General Manager of Lowe.
Chris Skinner, Managing Director of Initiative, said, “The benefits for a client which is very resource-lean, such as Plan, is that a seamless IPG team offers a more effective way for them to engage and make an impact. And for us, it really is an honor to be working with an organisation which makes such an important difference in the lives of children living in poverty.”
* * * * *
Contact
For more information, please contact Jacinta Reddan at GolinHarris on +852 2501 7905 or jacinta.reddan@golinharris.com.
About GolinHarris
Established in 1956, GolinHarris is a leading public relations agency offering a distinctive combination of global resources and world-class expertise-with tailored approaches and personal, focused attention in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Clients include Alpharma, Aon Corporation, Dow Chemical Company, McDonald’s Corporation, Nintendo of America Inc., Orange, TetraPak, Texas Instruments and Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. GolinHarris’ work for Nintendo was selected as PR Campaign of the Year at the 2008 PRWeek Awards. In 2007, GolinHarris was selected Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report, Large PR Agency of the Year in the PRWeek Awards and PRWeek Magazine’s Editors’ Choice.
About Lowe Hong Kong
An established 4 A's agency in the Hong Kong market, Lowe passionately believes in the long term return on investment of high value ideas. Lowe Hong Kong is part of the network’s North Asia hub working closely with Lowe Shanghai. Key clients include Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, National Australia Bank and EPS.
About Initiative
Initiative is a media, marketing and digital company that transforms media exchanges into marketing results. Owned by the Interpublic Group, Initiative is part of media management group Mediabrands and a partner of Magna, IPG’s centralized media negotiation entity. Initiative employs more than 2500 talented professionals, working in 91 offices across 70 markets, worldwide. Initiative’s comprehensive range of marketing-led communications services include: research and insight, media planning and buying, digital communications solutions, content creation, and evaluation and accountability services.
All three agencies are subsidiaries of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG).
About Plan
Established in 1937, Plan International is one of the world’s oldest and largest development organisations working in 49 developing countries to improve the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged young people. Plan directly supports more than 1,500,000 children and their families each year throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America, and indirectly supports an estimated further 9,000,000 people who live in communities that are working with Plan..Plan is committed to working with local communities to strengthen children’s rights. Plan International’s health, education and livelihood programmes provide long-term development and sustainability for children and their communities throughout the developing world providing choice and opportunity for a better future. Plan has 18 national offices which act as the main fundraising arm of the organisation and Plan primarily derives funds through child sponsorship programmes and is non-aligned and non-denominational.