Royal Academy of Engineering
Follow what you love
Hard hats, hi-vis jackets, pneumatic drills – for too long, engineering had become associated with dry and dated perceptions. The result: a huge skills shortage and a narrow target audience. The Royal Academy of Engineering needed to attract innovators and entrepreneurs often lost to engineering well before they finish school. They wanted a campaign that would inspire 13 to 18 year-olds to see engineering in a new light and follow what they love into an engineering career.
In collaboration with EngineeringUK and industry partners, we created the #ThisIsEngineering campaign. Aiming to inspire students, we knew that a high-profile, digitally-led advertising campaign was the way forward.
The campaign centred on the life stories of young engineers who had turned their passions into careers, following what they love into sport, fashion, robotics, design, aviation, prosthetics and more, proving the astounding breadth of engineering.
Across three seasons, we championed 16 different engineers. We built the campaign from scratch, creating a logo, look and feel and tone of voice that would maximise impact among the young audience.
Rolled out across YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, OOH and DOOH, content included hero films, long-form interviews, shorter cuts and posters. We also created a website which provided further information about engineering careers for students, teachers and parents. Executions were developed into TV commercials which were broadcast in prime-time slots.
“Choosing a career is a big decision and young people are often reliant on advice from parents and teachers. But some parents and teachers have out-of-date or negative stereotypes about working in engineering. They don’t know that you can follow your passion into engineering, whether you love music, fashion, sports, film, games – whatever it is, there are engineers at the heart of it. ”
Daniel Rossall-Valentine, Head of Engineering Talent Project, RAE
• 21m views • 670k online engagements • Content shown at events attended by over 125,000 people • 72% of teens who saw the campaign said they would consider an engineering career • Consideration higher among female teens and those from BAME backgrounds
- Brand development
- Brand guidelines
- Digital advertising
- Event organisation
- Film
- In-house production
- Photography
- Social media
- Strategy