Campaign summary
For a small country the UK has always been good at the big ideas. From the arts to fashion, from engineering to science, our creativity has been changing the world for centuries. So when UKTI wanted an international campaign to position the country as a centre of innovation they turned to Brass to sum up nearly five thousand years of UK firsts!
The brief
Bowler hats. The Beatles. A nice cup of tea. There are some things that the UK is famous for the world over. But there's also a whole host of contemporary achievements that aren't as well known. To change this, UKTI - the government body charged with encouraging UK exports and inward investment - asked us to create an impactful campaign which would catch the eye of overseas investors and diplomatic staff all over the world. We'd been working with the department for over five years but this would be our most ambitious project yet.
The approach
Press adverts. Posters. Exhibition panels. Embedded videos. Online display ads. The campaign wouldn't just roll out across the world but across all manner of media platforms, promoting business sectors as diverse as Advanced Engineering and Creative Industries. Naturally, we wanted our work to be as engaging as possible and so we adopted a dual element approach, where one historical UK achievement was complemented or contrasted by a modern equivalent. The images were also combined to create a surprising visual element. And by carefully selecting case studies such as Harry Potter, Wallace & Gromit (all of which involved sensitive negotiations with the copyright holders), we ensured our campaign stayed fresh and involving.
The result
The campaign has been well received by audiences around the world and has helped strengthen the UK's image as one of the world's most inventive and creative nations. Indeed, UKTI was so impressed that they've extended the campaign and asked us to create more executions featuring iconic UK achievements.