News

Celebrity Cruises appoints History Will Be Kind for Australian comms

History Will Be Kind (HWBK) has been appointed as the new communications agency for Celebrity Cruises in Australia, reporting into the local team to drive strategy forward with local PR, influencer and social media work.

The appointment follows the recent announcement of VCCP Group’s UK-based Good Relations as the Celebrity Cruises’ global communications partner, with HWBK to support Good Relations in Australia.

HWBK are set to work with the cruise line’s internal global communications team to guide the company’s public relations and social media strategy Australia, and the agency’s appointment followed an eight-month research and review process.

The appointment of Good Relations to the global account marks the first time that Celebrity Cruises has taken a global approach to PR agency support.

Celebrity Cruises’ vice president and managing director for Australia & APAC, Tim Jones, said working with HWBK will allow the liner to balance local market knowledge with a global perspective.

“We are excited to be working with HWBK in Australia and New Zealand as part of our global communications partnership,” he said.

“The agency brings a superb mix of bold thinking, depth of expertise, balancing local market knowledge with global perspective to support our ambitions during this unique time of transformation for the brand.”

HWBK’s agency founder and CEO EJ Granleese will lead the work in Australia, along with client partner Corinna Fawls, a former Good Relations UK team member.

Meanwhile Good Relations New York’s executive vice president will lead the global pitch, global account and North American work.

Granleese said: “Our market poses a unique set of challenges for the travel and cruise industries right now, which in turn brings huge opportunities for an ambitious and visionary brand like Celebrity Cruises. We can’t wait to make history together.”

HWBK is part of independent, digital communications and innovation consultancy group, Deepend Group.

The global cruise industry was ravaged by COVID-19, however, operators are optimistic that the industry can bounce back with many of the Australian Cruise Association’s (ACA) member ports using the COVID period to complete development projects in preparation for a return of cruises in 2021.

The agency’s appointment to Celebrity Cruises follows its win of the comms account for emergency response company Respond Global in late 2020.

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.