LOS ANGELES: Norwegian Cruise Line has brought on Citizen Relations to drive national buzz for the launch of its newest ship, Norwegian Bliss.
Citizen was selected earlier this month following a competitive RFP process that started in September and went through the end of October.
"We are working with them on a project basis, specifically to launch Norwegian Bliss," said Citizen CEO Jim Joseph, who was named the agency’s leader this summer. "We are providing them with a very integrated approach, focused on earned media at the core - social, influencer, very much centered on that."
Norwegian Bliss, setting sail to Alaska in May 2018, will boast "many firsts at sea," according to a release, including the largest competitive race track at sea, an open-air laser tag course, heart-racing waterslides, and new dining concepts.
Joseph said campaign efforts are currently in planning mode, but hinted that "because the experience [on the ship] is quite unique, [Citizen] is looking to do unique, innovative things."
Vanessa Picariello, senior director of PR for Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a release that Citizen will help the cruise line showcase Norwegian Bliss’ "premium onboard experiences to a wide audience and in driving the message that cruising is a modern, exciting, and high-value vacation experience."
The work is being led out of Citizen’s Los Angeles office.
Budget information was not disclosed.
Joseph noted that the Norwegian assignment is indicative of the types of accounts Citizen is pursuing.
"We are going after marquee consumer brands that value an integrated approach with earned at the core, but very much integrated with social and influencer and experiential, and brands that value bringing an experience to their consumers," said Joseph.
In September, Citizen Relations acquired The Narrative Group, a contemporary lifestyle agency specializing in experiential and influencer marketing.
That same month, We Are Social and Citizen Relations said they will join a newly formed marketing services group following an agreement between their China-based owner BlueFocus and data analytics firm Cogint. The new entity, to be named later, will include BlueFocus’ social media specialist We Are Social, plus its Vision 7 International arm, which includes PR shop Citizen and other agencies Cossette, Vision7 Media, and The Camps Collective. They will be combined with Cogint’s U.S.-based performance marketing platform Fluent.
