LONDON – MSL has been appointed by P&O Ferries on a retainer to promote its major passenger routes through national and regional media relations.

P&O chose Publicis to handle its consolidated media and creative account in June 2018 after a joint “Power of One” pitch by Publicis London, Digitas and Starcom, covering the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands.

MSL was not involved in the pitch but P&O asked to work with the agency as its PR partner as part of this new integrated approach. MSL is working directly with P&O’s communications team rather than marketing. 

The agency team has been tasked with increasing P&O’s share of voice and promoting the culture and heritage around its four major routes: Dover to Calais; Liverpool to Dublin; and Hull to Zeebrugge and Rotterdam.

MSL will also be repositioning ferry travel as a desirable form of transport, since it gives passengers freedom of movement on board and the ability to take bikes or sporting equipment without baggage fees.

P&O Ferries carries 8.4 million passengers and 2.3 million freight units a year on more than 20 vessels sailing eight routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium.

MSL deputy MD consumer Simon Condon said: “We are incredibly excited to be working with such an iconic name in British travel. P&O has been a household name for over 180 years and we look forward to leveraging our travel and tourism expertise to help this British icon grow.”