To promote The Big Bang, the UK’s largest single celebration of science and engineering, we had to make science ‘cool’ for kids.
Getting a Big Bang out of Science
We needed a campaign that would surprise and excite if were to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, so we used a creative concoction of experiential activity together with social and traditional media relations to get teens talking.
We recruited TV star, Professor Brian Cox, to host a science lesson of a lifetime for one lucky school which was a social media sensation. A class act of daredevil scientists also took to the streets in a science tour to remember, drawing massive crowds and capturing imaginations. University boffins revealed how science fiction such as Willy Wonka’s three-course chewing gum meal and Dr. Who’s Sonic Screwdriver could become reality, and we even proved that footballers are actually maths geniuses on the pitch. Our integrated media strategy saw both stories go global within hours - fuelling tens of thousands of online conversations.
Through PR alone, we reached more than 181 million people with 825 coverage hits, including the biggest TV and radio news programmes across the UK. We also developed a valuable Facebook community which continues to inspire and excited young people. Ultimately drove a significant increase in footfall to the live event over previous years and put science and engineering on the agenda for a whole new generation of innovators.