Online auction house Catawiki chooses Marlin PR

Online auction house Catawiki, cited as the world’s fastest-growing technology company by Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, has appointed Marlin PR to drive brand awareness in the UK, following a three-way pitch.

The Dutch company, which claims to auction off 30,000 objects every week, hosts weekly auctions in 80 categories encompassing collectibles, curios and classic cars, with items ranging from a skull cap worn by Pope Francis, the smallest pistol in the world, a lock of Napoleon’s hair and Michael Jackson’s hat, to a letter condemning a witch from 1603, the jaw of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Ferrari F1 car.

To kick off activity, Marlin has initiated a partnership with American fashion designer Johny Dar to deliver a celebrity-led charity campaign, “Jeans for Refugees”. The initiative sees second-hand jeans donated from 100 celebrities – including Emma Watson, Kate Moss, Ryan Gosling and Sir Elton John, painted with unique patterns offered for auction exclusively on Catawiki, with all funds being donated to the International Rescue Committee.

Casey Williams, UK marketing manager at Catawiki, said: “Marlin PR quickly showed a different way of thinking. They didn’t only understand our proposition, but they ‘got’ our brand, what makes us tick and, crucially, what differentiates our business and approach.

“Marlin has already shown that they can think creatively and laterally, providing meaningful campaigns that will stay long in the memory. We’re excited to be working with them and can already see what fearless work we can deliver together as we continue to build our brand in the UK.”

Ben Philipson, director at Marlin PR, added: “Our approach will promote the uniqueness of the Catawiki brand and open consumers’ eyes to an entirely new way of finding special objects through innovative news hijacks that capture the zeitgeist.”