After three decades, FIRST was adored by young people and parents around the world but struggled to move beyond the indoctrinated. Each year, a million kids, parents and educators participated in FIRST programs, but the organization needed to mainstream its offerings by creating consumer excitement, establishing cultural relevance and creating emotional connections.
First, we built an emotional, relevant brand platform to challenge perceptions around hands-on learning and STEM education. Then, we built and executed an integrated campaign centered around lead generation, leveraging social engagement, content marketing, media relations, streaming and influencers to break through in a crowded landscape.
In just one year, we increased leads by 20,000 and increased the organization's school district footprint by ~3%. Overall, the campaign contributed to 20% growth YoY. Our work was recognized for communications and marketing excellence, including: Fast Company World Changing Ideas (finalist); Shorty Award for Best Social Good Campaign of the Year (finalist); 2020 Bulldog PR Award for Best Nonprofit Campaign (Gold). We also supported the organization in the creation and launch of the documentary "More Than Robots," which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2022 and is now streaming on Disney+. Secured media coverage has included Associated Press, CNN, Forbes, US News, MSNBC, HuffPost, Bloomberg Radio and many more.