Iris wins Barclays Singapore Open account

SINGAPORE - The World Sports Group has charged Iris with developing an integrated campaign to promote the 2009 Barclays Singapore Open golf tournament, beating out two other agencies in a competitive pitch.

Titled ‘Game On’, the campaign will include TVCs aired on StarHub starting next month, accompanied by print elements and a promotional road show and guerrilla activities before the event. It will also include a digital push on the
Singapore Open’s homepage and an outdoor via ads on buses and taxis.

Iris, an independent agency regionally headquartered in Singapore, will run the campaign in conjunction with public-relations initiatives headed by Fulford PR and the World Sports Group’s in-house communicatins team.

The 2009 annual event will take place from 29 October to 1 November.

“The Barclays Singapore Open is the richest and most prestigious golf event in Asia. This year, we aim to attract 35 per cent more visitors, so need an agency that can not only raise awareness of the event, but really drive ticket sales,” said Chris Jordan, senior vice-president of golf at World Sport Group. “We chose Iris because of its integrated capabilities, which will enable us to take the excitement of the event to the people and convert interest into sales.”

The news comes days after Iris announced that regional CEO Richard Bleasdale will depart his position at the end of the year.

With the World Sports Group, Iris Singapore works with key clients including Sony Ericsson, adidas, APB, Unilever and Diageo.