Tourism Australia appoints OPR to PR account

Tourism Australia has named OPR as its PR agency, following a competitive pitch process.

The contract with the WPP agency is for a period of 24 months, with the option to extend it by a further 12 months.

The contract is for a term of two years

OPR’s CEO Richard Brett said that “our passion for creative storytelling” makes the two brands a good fit.

“We are thrilled to be working with Tourism Australia. We believe our passion for creative storytelling and Tourism Australia’s energetic brand persona are a perfect fit to help promote Australia’s tourism offering to a global audience,” Brett said.

“As international travel has become more accessible, it has also become more competitive. Tourism boards globally are increasingly seeking out new and innovative approaches to achieve cut-through and resonate with potential travellers. We feel Tourism Australia is at the forefront of this movement, and we’re thrilled to be their PR partner of choice heading into 2020.”

Susan Coghill, Tourism Australia’s CMO, added: “A key objective of the partnership with OPR is to develop and drive creative PR-led activations that align with Tourism Australia’s overarching vision to become the most memorable and desirable destination on earth.

“It is all about leveraging the creativity of our campaigns through PR to create a powerful point of difference and stand out in an increasingly cluttered travel market to urge more consumers to experience Australia’s incredible tourism offering. Advocacy created through earned and owned activity is highly effective in achieving these outcomes.”

Coghill took on the CMO role earlier this year after Lisa Ronson departed the organisation to join Coles.

The OPR appointment follows last week’s controversy, in which OPR and Who came under fire for an interview with supermodel Adut Akech that was accompanied by a photo of a different model. Akech said the mistake “would’ve not happened to a white model”.

“Last week, a file of photos of model images was sent to Who Magazine, which resulted in an incorrect image being used in an article about Melbourne Fashion Week Ambassador, Adut Akech. The file contained photos of Adut and other MFW models.  Regardless of where the administrative error was made, we sincerely regret any upset it has caused to the models involved, and our client the City of Melbourne,” OPR said in a statement.

Brittney Rigby

Brittney Rigby was Mumbrella's deputy managing editor - news and analysis. She left Mumbrella in April 2021.

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topics opr Richard Brett susan coghill Tourism Australia

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