Team Saatchi wins Sport England health promotion brief

Sport England is to team up with commercial companies and sporting celebrities such as Alan Shearer as part of its healthy-eating and pro-exercise ad campaign.

The body has appointed Team Saatchi following a three-way pitch against TBWA/London and McCann-Erickson. Team Saatchi will initially create a pilot campaign in the north-east of England.

Sport England, which distributes National Lottery funds to sport, will then oversee a national roll-out with support from government bodies such as the Department of Health, the Department of Education and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (MW December 4, 2003).

Commercial partnerships will also be sought to help push the campaign.

Sport England marketing director Nick Wake will not comment on whether the organisation will put restrictions on the types of company eligible to support the campaign.

Wake says celebrities were an important part of Team Saatchi’s pitch. Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson and rugby player Rob Andrew have already given their support in a video presentation to sports minister Richard Caborn.

The Government has come in for criticism recently for not creating a unified strategy to tackle the problem of obesity. Health secretary John Reid has called an obesity summit in April, which will bring together government departments, food companies, nutrition experts and consumer watchdogs.