Following a strategic review, The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has appointed Wavemaker to handle all of its media planning and buying in the UK and Ireland.
The news sees the charity move on from its five-year partnership with OMD UK, which was appointed to the account – now worth in the region of £3 million – in 2013.
Commenting on the win, Anna Hickey, Wavemaker UK COO, said she is “delighted” and “thoroughly excited” to begin working with the RNLI.
“Like the RNLI, we believe in the incredible power of people, of the contribution they make and the difference they can unlock if their passions are recognised and applied,” she said.
“We are excited to see our work for the RNLI come to life and the positive impact we can help have on thousands of lives.”
The RNLI runs a wide range of campaigns and programmes, with the aim to reduce the number of people drowning at sea in the UK and Ireland by 50% over the next six years.
According to Jayne Clarke, head of marketing and media at the RNLI, the charity was impressed by the “sophistication of Wavemaker’s thinking” and its understanding of the challenges charities face.
Clarke said: “The team quickly identified the growth potential for us and demonstrated excellence in activation. The innovative, creative ideas will create a step change in how we engage with our audiences. The Wavemaker team were passionate throughout the pitch process and we are very excited to start to see their work come to fruition.”
Wavemaker’s current clients include Vodafone, United Airlines, ESPRIT and Purplebricks.
