Pitch appointed by the England 2018 World Cup Bid.

Pitch, the leading sports and sponsorship communications consultancy, has been appointed by the England 2018 World Cup Bid to support its ongoing public engagement programme.

Pitch was previously engaged to provide PR support to the England 2018 Bid launch at Wembley in May 2009, which saw David Beckham and Wayne Rooney unveil England’s plans to host the world’s premier football tournament. Pitch has since been appointed as an official supplier of the England 2018 Bid for the duration of the campaign which will climax in December this year when FIFA makes its decision on which country will host the World Cup tournaments in 2018 and 2022.

During this time the agency has provided support for key milestones of the Bid, including the Host City Bid submission and announcement processes as well as the recent submission of the official England 2018 Bid Book to FIFA in Zurich.

England 2018 plans to undertake a range of UK activity throughout the remainder of the campaign designed to engage football fans in this country and demonstrate to FIFA their passionate support for the Bid. Pitch will also continue to secure big name celebrities for the official ‘Back the Bid’ campaign, which has seen a wealth of stars including Noel Gallagher, Sting, JLS, Stephen Fry, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and James Corden provide support.

Henry Chappell, Chief Executive of Pitch, said:
“To provide PR support for England’s Bid to host one of the most important sporting events in the world is a fantastic opportunity for Pitch.

“Having worked closely with England 2018 at the initial launch stage and during some key milestones, we are now delighted to be appointed for the duration of the campaign. UK PR activity will play an important role for the Bid over the next six months, and Pitch will be able to assist on a number of levels as England 2018 continues to outline to FIFA the passionate support for football in this country.”

Pitch was founded in 2002 by Henry Chappell, with the backing of Matthew Freud. The London-based agency has established itself as the leading creative force in the sports marketing and sponsorship industry thanks to a series of innovative sponsorship activation and integrated PR campaigns for a range of market-leading brands and organisations, events and venues, including Chelsea FC, Fred Perry, Hugo Boss, IMG, Marks & Spencer, NBA, Skandia, Sony Ericsson, and Wembley Stadium.