A WHO'S who of Wirral celebrities is to be asked to champion the borough in a new global marketing campaign. Famous faces including former Tranmere Rovers manager John Aldridge and Sir Paul and Mike McCartney are to be asked to take part. It will see Wirral given a new brand name following the council's announcment that it was ditching the EuroWirral tag which it was felt had run its course. Eurowirral had been in use for 10 years and has been the major driving force of the council's marketing strategy. Council chiefs are now working on a replacement for the name, with suggestions so far including "The Wirral Way." A list of the peninsula's rich and famous is being drawn up to tie in with the brand relaunch. Lib-Dem councillor Bob Moon, chairman of the economic regeneration committee, said: "We are looking for people who can champion the borough. "We want to raise our profile and need people who are instantly well known round here and can be a face to the area's name when we promote it internationally. "There have been a number of names bandied around. If you ask 10 people you get 10 different answers, but one name that does keep coming up is John Aldridge." Aldridge, a former player and manager with Tranmere Rovers, was widely regarded as the man who did more than any other to keep the club's profile high. He said: "It's great to still have the respect of the people of Wirral and I will do anything I can to help. "I have a strong love for Wirral, I have great memories of my time at Tranmere. They were some of the greatest days of my life." The McCartney brothers' names have both been mentioned, with Mike a potential leading name on the list. His involvement with the local community and celebrity credentials make him a prime candidate. Since it was introduced the EuroWirral brand has won several awards, including the European Diploma, Flag of Honour and Plaque of Honour from the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. It is also credited with achieving more than £330m of investment over seven years and securing hundreds of jobs with multi-national companies such as Unilever, Champion and Shell. The new tag and the list of celebrities will be finalised later in the year. It is hoped the re-branding will help Wirral cash in on Liverpool's Capital of Culture success as well as making the most of the 2006 Open Championship. |