The World Gold Council (WGC) has handed the agency network a brief thought to be worth in excess of £1m to stimulate global demand for gold as an investment and consumer product.
The account will be led from London by financial comms shop Capital MS&L, which will work alongside MS&L Worldwide and Publicis Consultants on the brief.
MS&L Group won the brief in a competitive pitch against Hill & Knowlton, Financial Dynamics and Kreab Gavin Anderson. Capital has worked in the UK for the Gold Council before, but the new brief is designed to offer a more integrated, market driven and global approach.
Activity will be centred around geographical hubs in London, New York, Dubai, Mumbai and Beijing, with other countries serviced from these locations.
WGC director of corporate comms Matthew Graydon said: 'We are delighted to partner with MS&L Group to build the prominence of gold and enure its significance and value is well understood across the globe.'
The brief centres on targeting purchasers and holders of gold in four key areas: investment, jewellery, industrial and central banks. It will include elements of financial comms and investor relations as well as corporate and consumer PR, government affairs and events management.
Also, Cicero Consulting will work with MS&L on public affairs in the UK as the WGC liaises with regulators to remove obstacles to gold ownership.
The win is one of the first since the merger of MS&L and Publicis was announced in November.
HOW I SEE IT - Richard Campbell, MD, Capital MS&L
Gold has become a much more relevant asset over the past five years and the price has risen almost four-fold since 2001. The challenge is to keep that momentum and increase gold's prominence by making it absolutely central to decision making.
That means helping people understand the role gold can play as part of an investment portfolio, educating governments and central banks on how gold can bring stability to countries and economies and helping consumers understand that gold is about investment as well as adornment. When financial stability is critical, gold has an increasingly important role to play.
