The Science Council is a membership organisation that represents a diverse range of science disciplines. It exists to amplify the voice of the science community, offer members a forum for collaboration and, through its professional registration awards, ensures best practice and integrity in the science workforce.
With recent years having seen a fall in the number of chartered scientists (CSci), the Science Council needed to create a campaign that would boost both the numbers of professional registrations and raise awareness of the value of CSci in the science community, among employers and in the wider science ecosystem.
Our first step was to design, circulate and then evaluate a survey that was completed by 270 chartered scientists. This provided us with valuable insights into the motivation behind their becoming chartered and the language they used to express its benefits. With the idea of achieving ‘recognition’ being a major motivator, we worked up three concepts that focused on this insight in very different ways, eventually choosing the one that reflected the Science Council’s campaign objectives in the most authentic, direct and eye-catching way.
The campaign turns the spotlight on the Science Council’s professional registration awards by literally highlighting the post nominals, CSci, after each of the featured scientists’ names. The visual highlighter pen approach is also used to draw attention to all the positives that flow from the accreditations. As well as creating an animated campaign video, the creative concept has also been rolled out as web banners, on social media, and in advertising in sector-specific magazines and journals.
Co-Foundry collaborators involved in creating the campaign include Rachel Hartwell (design), Nicky Roberts (creative copy), Skylark Media (video footage) and Frazer King (motion design) who produced the 40-second motion graphic video which brings the campaign message and concept to life.
