Under the contract, a McCann team based in Milan, Italy, will drive MSC Cruises' marketing communications for 2015-2016, and reassess the company's brand positioning and brand-building strategy.
In the spring of 2014, MSC Cruises launched a multi-billion euro industrial plan to double the capacity of its fleet in five years, placing orders for up to seven new ships, which will be delivered between 2017 and 2022.
MSC Cruises sought an agency capable of delivering a comprehensive multiplatform strategy to give maximum worldwide visibility to this latest surge in fleet size, which follows a decade in which MSC Cruises grew by 800% (2003-2013).
MSC Cruises Chief Marketing Officer Luca Catzola said: "As the company grows, we want to reinforce the MSC Cruises brand and increase its prominence worldwide. Creative, meaningful marketing communications to herald the arrival of these ultramodern prototype ships will be key to sustaining the brand's impact once they are operational."
He added: "Our thanks go to our former partner Leagas Delaney for the part they played in getting the MSC Cruises brand to where it is today."
The McCann Worldgroup team that will work with MSC was coordinated by John Wright, Director of Strategic Business Development EMEA, who cherry picked top performers from Germany, Spain, France and Latin America.
Daniele Cobianchi, Vice-President of McCann WorldGroup Italia said: "We are proud to be at MSC Cruises' side at such an important time in their history. We're aware that the international reach of our network can successfully interpret the nuances of such an extraordinarily complex business."
