Cohn & Wolfe wins fierce contest to promote Speedo

Speedo International has appointed the agency following a fiercely contested four-way pitch. Cohn & Wolfe fought off Shine, Brandnation and Exp­osure to land the six figure retai­ner.

It will be responsible for developing a global PR strategy, producing materials and ensuring consistency of messaging and implementation across the brand's primary markets in Europe, the Asia Pacific region and the Americas.

The agency will promote Speedo in an important year for the brand that sees its 80th birthday, the FINA Swimming World Championships in Manchester and the Beijing Olympics.

Consumer director Reb­ecca Rhodes will head up the team, reporting to Speedo's head of international PR Max D'Achille.

Rhodes said the brand will be positioned as the ‘swimming superbrand', emp­hasising its heritage, the superior technology of its swimwear for athletes, as well as promoting its leisure and fashion ranges.

The swimming brand used Sputnik Communications for six years, until October last year. Brandnation won a UK media relations brief with Speedo at the end of last year. Speedo is owned by Pentland Brands, which owns the Boxfresh, Red or Dead and Ellesse brands.