Thornton-based Catapult PR has been retained by the Lakes Aquarium, at Lakeside, near Newby Bridge, to handle one of the biggest tourism launches at the attraction this year.

The Virtual Dive Bell is a new piece of technology simulating the experience of going underwater and coming face to face with a Nile crocodile, an angry hippo or a hungry bull shark.

Events

Catapult PR has worked with the Aquarium of the Lakes – sister attraction to Blackpool Zoo – since Spring 2007, promoting its regular events programme and 10th anniversary, prior to being appointed to handle the new launch.

It comes on the back of a string of successes for Catapult PR in tourism.

Its campaign for the North West Farm Tourism Initiative was one of only five short-listed in the prestigious national Chartered Institute of Public Relations Awards 2007, where Catapult was one of only two North West agencies represented.

Managing director Jane Hunt said: "We have always been renowned for our great ideas and creativity, which have built brands across many sectors and enabled us to win 17 awards and numerous runners-up prizes within the PR world.

"Being based and born in Blackpool and having been brought up in one of its biggest hotels should make tourism run through my veins and that seems to be the case.

"We are finding that word-of-mouth is spreading the news about our tourism and leisure-focused campaigns, bringing new accounts and projects in by the week."