the science of scare: the world’s best digital pr camaign

Building 1300+ links and sparking worldwide debate by answering one simple question.

the client

BroadbandChoices a UK based comparison service which compares deals on broadband, TV and mobile phone deals.

The Brief

To improve rankings and bolster online authority by creating a unique resource that attracts media coverage and backlinks.

In particular, the goal was to create a campaign to help promote the client’s ‘triple play’ deals of broadband, landline and TV - with a particular focus on packages with a Netflix subscription included.

The Strategy

As a challenger brand, we knew that Broadbanchoices needed something bold and big to cut through.

With the brief coming at the height of Covid, when people were locked inside, we knew that the campaign should be something conversational, and with October approaching and people in binge-watch mode, we thought scary movies could be the perfect hook, combining with the relevance of what the client was selling.

Looking at popular searches around the time, we looked at how we could make the subjective (“What’s the scariest movie?”) into an objective fact, creating a key conversation starter and point of debate. We did this by fitting people with fitness trackers and screening scary films to make a simple “Science Says XX” campaign that took the world by storm.

the campaign.

The "Milroy's Whisky Travel Index," evaluates Scottish distilleries using 15 different criteria, including tour and tasting costs, variety of experiences offered, visitor feedback, nearby amenities, and the quality of the whisky produced.

The result was a detailed score from 0 to 100, ranking the best whisky experiences Scotland has to offer.

THE RESULTS.

142 million social media impressions
Most linked to content page on client’s site

One of the most successful Digital PR campaigns of all time, The Science of Scare has spawned hundreds of user-generated content spin-offs with millions of views worldwide, along with winning the Best PR Campaign award at both the Global and UK Search Awards.

Building over 1,300 links, the campaign became the most linked to page on the client’s site (after the homepage) and cemented a place in the public consciousness, being picked up, referenced and copied (especially among horror movie studios) every year.

The campaign was also featured by a number of movie streaming services, with the campaign currently referenced in both the Netflix and Amazon Prime movie descriptions of the winning films.

Along with being shared and debated among celebrities and directors, each year the client sees search demand and traffic as a result of the campaign, likewise, the winning film also enjoys more search traffic every October!

The variety and quality of backlinks built by Science of Scare continues to grow alongside its cultural impact. If you’re a financial services company, when was the last time your agency got you a link in Vanity Fair, NME or Forbes?

Science of Scare shows how a simple concept, simple execution and the framing of the subjective as objective can create conversation, grab headlines and leave a lasting legacy.