Tenders up for sex and cigarettes control

Singapore - The Singapore Health Promotion Board (HPB) has put up a tender for an agency to create integrated campaigns for two projects, ‘HIV/AIDS Education 2008' and ‘Smoking Control Programme 2008'.

The appointment is likely to be announced at the end of February and the year-long projects will require creative, media strategy and market research services. Yet to close, at least eight parties have expressed interest and shortlisted agencies are slated to present on 5 February. The appointed agency is expected to roll out its first work by April.

Both projects are clearly segmented. The HIV/AIDS Education 2008 campaign seeks to de-stigmatise HIV/AIDS sufferers, promote World AIDS Day, educate single women to negotiate safer sex and abstain from casual sex, and also encourage working adults to go for early tests for the disease.

The Smoking Control Programme campaign aims to decrease the prevalence of smoking through the World No Tobacco Day, target young female smokers through the ‘Fresh Air for Women' campaign, encourage Malays to quit smoking through the ‘Muharam Challenge' and encourage implementation of smoking controls at the work place.

The tender closes on 30 January and the account is worth about $2.23 million.

It is believed that M&C Saatchi and incumbent DDB will be among the agencies set to contest for the business.