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The brief

The Eurekas is an annual physics competition for students aged 11–16 across the UK and Ireland. It forms part of the Institute of Physics’ (IOP) Limit Less campaign, which aims to diversify the young people who continue with physics after 16 and to encourage students to see physics differently.Following the successful 2022 launch, IOP reappointed Barley to promote the 2023 competition. Our objectives were to reach more of the campaign’s diverse target audiences and increase the number of submissions from the previous year.

Insights and approach

Our campaign focused on parents and teachers who would support students entering the competition, while also directly engaging young people aged 11–16 — particularly those from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in physics.

To keep the competition inclusive and open to a wide range of interests, we developed the 2023 theme: how does physics power your passion?

Using insights from the 2022 evaluation, we refined our strategy. This included bringing in influencers to extend reach and credibility. Charismatic teacher Bobby Seagull encouraged his students to think differently about physics, while engineer and mother Dr Samira Ahmed created warm, engaging videos that introduced her audience to the competition.To reinforce scientific credibility, we secured physics communicator Alom Shaha and Eurekas ambassador Shivani Dave as judges, alongside campaign creator Ray Mitchell.

Results

We doubled the number of submissions from 2022 and increased participation from students and schools by around half.

Our organic social campaign generated strong engagement, achieving half a million impressions and 10,000 interactions. Paid social activity reached 200,000 people.

Influencer activity performed well too, with 19 posts generating 50,000 video views, 112,000 impressions and 2,000 engagements.Local media outreach amplified the winner announcement in Leicester, securing interviews on BBC Radio Leicester and Capital FM Leicestershire, broadcast coverage on ITV News Central, and an article in the Leicester Times.

  • 100%

    increase in submissions

  • 50%

    increase in students taking part

  • 50k

    influencer video views

  • 500k

    organic social impressions

  • 200k

    people reached via paid social

“

The quality of entries was incredibly high again this year. It was wonderful to see so many young people thinking about the things they’re passionate about through a physics lens, and letting their creativity flow. I believe if we can just harness some of this talent, the next generation of physicists will achieve groundbreaking things. I was honoured to be a judge for the second year running and everyone should be very proud of their work.

Shivani Dave

Journalist, broadcaster and physicist

The brief

Physics is still widely perceived as difficult and dominated by white males – a view backed by data and lived experience. This lack of diversity means the physics community misses out on talented young people who do not see themselves reflected in the subject.
To shift perceptions and encourage more young people to continue with physics post-16, the Institute of Physics asked Barley to promote Limit Less – its diversity communication campaign championing girls, students from disadvantaged backgrounds, young people of Black Caribbean descent, disabled students and LGBT+ young people.

Insights and approach

We wanted to show that physics can be creative, collaborative, practical and fun.
We set out to reframe physics as creative, collaborative and relevant to everyday life. Early interviews with IOP members and students revealed that many young people felt more confident in subjects such as art, design, sport, humanities or languages. This insight shaped our central idea: meet young people where they already feel strong.
We proposed launching The Eurekas – a UK- and Ireland-wide competition for 11–16-year-olds answering one question: what’s the point of physics? To widen participation, entries could take any form, from videos and performances to poetry, artwork or baking. Cash and voucher prizes were included to motivate students, teachers and parents or carers.
To bring the campaign to life, we:
Created The Eurekas sub-brand and a dedicated website
Recruited science communicator Shivani Dave as an accessible and inspiring ambassador
Engaged amplifier audiences – teachers, parents and carers – to reach young people appropriately
Ran paid and organic social campaigns
Activated IOP’s database via newsletters
Delivered national and local media outreach
Convened a judging panel including Shivani Dave, physicist and author Femi Fadugba, and IOP Deputy Chief Executive Rachel Youngman

Results

Students across the UK and Ireland embraced the challenge, exploring physics in unexpected and imaginative ways. As a pilot year, The Eurekas exceeded expectations, attracting more than 100 submissions from almost 200 young people – with most shortlisted entrants coming from the underrepresented groups at the heart of the campaign.The entries demonstrated powerful creativity and a growing confidence in the subject. Several winners shared how taking part reshaped how they see physics and what they believe they can achieve. The competition has laid strong foundations for future engagement, giving young people new permission to see physics as something that belongs to them.

554k

teachers and parents reached

42

schools involved

189

students

107

submissions

“

We were all incredibly impressed by the quality of entries submitted for this first year of The Eurekas. It was amazing to see how the young people tapped into their passions and produced such thoughtful work. We wanted this competition to be a celebration of creativity, culture, collaboration, diversity and activity – all underpinned by physics themes – and it has certainly achieved this.

Rachel Youngman

Deputy Chief Executive, Institute of Physics

The brief

Good Things Foundation asked Barley to boost awareness and use of Make It Click — an online platform designed to help people build confidence and competence with everyday digital tasks. With digital centres closed during COVID-19 lockdowns, there was a growing need to support individuals who were offline or struggling with essential skills.Our brief was clear: promote digital inclusion, inspire people to take action, and signpost practical resources for individuals and small business owners looking to increase their digital skills.

Insights and approach

We set out to raise the profile of Make It Click at pace, combining strategic insight with targeted delivery across content, paid media and PR.

We began by developing detailed audience personas — including NEET young people, furloughed workers and small business owners — to understand motivations, barriers and opportunities for digital skills behaviour change. Using channel planning tools, we identified the strongest media mix for each group and deployed tailored ad cycles across TikTok, Facebook and Google. This ensured efficient reach and maximised relevance.

To humanise the campaign, we created video case studies featuring people already benefitting from Make It Click. Their real stories provided authenticity and helped demonstrate how digital skills can unlock new opportunities.

PR added a further layer of impact. Our polling of furloughed workers revealed that seven in ten feared for their job security and were actively seeking ways to improve their skills. This insight underpinned our first news story and generated strong national interest. For small businesses, we spotlighted the launch of the new Make It Click digital hub, offering timely support as they navigated the challenges of the pandemic.

Results

Our combined programme of organic content, targeted paid activity and earned media drove significant uptake. We delivered more than double the original target for website visits, ensuring thousands more people could access high-quality digital support when they needed it most.

Extensive national and trade coverage strengthened Make It Click’s credibility, while our tailored messaging helped individuals and small businesses feel confident in taking their next step online. The campaign made a tangible contribution to promoting digital inclusion during a critical moment.

  • 105k

    website visits (target 50k)

  • 84

    pieces of coverage

  • 64m

    opportunities to see or hear

  • 24

    broadcast pieces

  • 15

    trade pieces

  • 10m

    social reach

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