To drum up interest, SPH’s ‘Pitch squad’ visited various advertising agencies to introduce the contest. Talents dressed as butchers hand-delivered invitations to the agencies to encourage them to participate in The Pitch.
In his welcome address, Leslie Fong, senior executive vice-president of the marketing division, spoke about the importance of integrated marketing solutions moving forward. The audience was then introduced to the suite of SPH’s integrated media initiatives by Geoff Tan, SPH's senior vice-president and head of strategic marketing.
The ‘secret’ account for The Pitch was also revealed. Agencies were challenged to conceptualise a compelling branding campaign for Paragon, the SPH-owned luxury shopping mall along Orchard Road. The proposal must effectively incorporate a cross-media strategy that engages at least three SPH media platforms, with print being mandatory.
Judges for The Pitch include eminent creative and media professionals in the industry, as well as the client, Paragon. The winning agency will win cash and media credits - as well as the honour of hoisting the Golden Cleaver Award.