Mello, the mascot for ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, at a reception held by Cable and Wireless at the VIP Lounge of the George Headley Stand, Sabina Park, last Friday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Cable and Wireless, one of the official sponsors of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, will be starting an islandwide advertising campaign on February 1 to sensitise Jamaicans about the March 11-April 28 tournament.

Head of sponsorship and special events at Cable and Wireless, Towa Beer, told The Gleaner last Friday at Sabina Park that the company had numerous sponsorship initiatives which they will soon unveil. "Some of out initiatives are short term and some are long term," Beer said. "For example, on the long term, we will be working with the Ministry of Tourism to help people to know how to get around. We also have a campaign with bmobile and home fone that allows people, whenever they top up, to get an opportunity to win a phone and win tickets to matches. "We will also have the ability for people to get information about cricket through 819-TRIP which is our information phone line. This information phone line will have the voice of Courtney Walsh telling stories about World Cup Cricket and how they can get involved."

The local telecommunications giants will also be involved in entertainment. "A Cable and Wireless Cricket Village, in conjunction with Red Stripe Mound Mania, will be set up at the Golf Academy in New Kingston. That starts on March 11, the day of the opening ceremony," Beer said.

According to Beer, her company's campaign will be a national one.

National campaign

"Billboards will be all over the country. Our (World Cup) advertising campaign will be a national campaign. We are doing promotions at Pier One in Montego Bay. We are hoping to work with other organisations in Montego Bay as well as around Trelawny. We are going to be working with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) as part of the One Love concert. We have a website as well that we will be launching at the beginning of February." Beer said that with the ICC having some very strict rules about using the images and likenesses of athletes, they will be concentrating on using the images of Jamaicans.

"This is about Jamaica cricket. Regular, ordinary everybody who is out there. As you can see, in one of our ads we have a guy bowling with an orange. Cricket is a part of Jamaican life; it is not just because of World Cup Cricket. It is something that everybody does every day," said Beer.