The Union to handle Glasgow bid drive for Commonwealth 2014

Edinburgh agency The Union has scooped the advertising account to support Glasgow’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The agency triumphed in an eight-way pitch held against undisclosed Scottish agencies in a tender process conducted by Glasgow City Council.

It has been briefed with developing a campaign to encourage local support for the games in the lead-up to the decision about who will be the host. The winner is due to be announced in Sri Lanka in November.

The location for the games is a two-way competition between Glasgow and Abuja in Nigeria. Canadian city Halifax had been involved in the running but pulled out in March this year, citing a lack of funding to host the games.

The Union’s work will run on high-profile outdoor sites across the city and will be in place for the visits of the Evaluation Commission to Glasgow in mid-June and the Commonwealth Voters a month later.

A Glasgow 2014 spokesman says the campaign will be “high visibility and high impact” and will feature a “large amount” of outdoor advertising.

Glasgow was announced as the Scottish candidate over Edinburgh, which hosted the Games in 1970 and 1986, following a cost-benefit analysis by the Scottish Executive.

If successful, £1bn will be spent on improving Glasgow’s transport infrastructure.