Royal Society of Chemistry
The strength of TRY matters when you're...
making the difference.
Changing how chemistry is seen opens up what young people believe is possible
52 million
impressions achieved through integrated organic and paid social advertising
6.2 million
social media views recorded within the first year of launch
27%
of surveyed students cited the campaign as influencing their university choice
Results built around alignment
impressions achieved through integrated organic and paid social advertising
social media views recorded within the first year of launch
of surveyed students cited the campaign as influencing their university choice
One Idea. Endless Possibilities.
Project overview
The Royal Society of Chemistry partnered with Mobas to create a bold campaign designed to reshape perceptions of studying chemistry at higher education level.
The ambition was to move beyond familiar images of laboratories, white coats and textbooks, instead showing young adults how chemistry connects to the issues, industries and causes shaping their world.
Through a cinematic creative platform and a simple, empowering idea, the campaign repositioned chemistry as a subject with the potential to take students somewhere unexpected. By positioning chemistry as a tool for social and environmental change, the project sought to inspire teenagers to reconsider the subject not just as a qualification, but as a pathway to global impact.
Defining the challange
Engaging digital natives requires more than just updated visuals; it demands an understanding of their values and media habits. Gen Z consumers are motivated by causes and social impact, yet chemistry is often perceived as abstract or confined to lab settings.
The strategic challenge lay in bridging the gap between complex academic subjects and the streetwear aesthetic and purpose-driven mindset of a generation that consumes dozens of videos daily and values brand authenticity above all else.
Strategy and Solution
The strategic shift focused on ’causes not careers’, reframing chemists as global game-changers capable of tackling economic and environmental issues. This insight led to the ‘CHEMIS-TRY’ concept, an innovative play on words that transformed the subject name into a direct call to action. By inviting students to ‘try’ and change the world, the campaign threw down a gauntlet to a generation eager to make a difference.
Visually, the solution stepped away from conventional academic imagery. Drawing inspiration from edgy streetwear brands, the creative utilised a revolutionary typeface and a minimal black-and-white palette. This allowed high-energy imagery to provide the colour and texture, ensuring the campaign felt native to social platforms. The result was a polished omnichannel experience that resonated with the aesthetic and ideological preferences of its audience, turning a perceived abstract subject into a tangible vehicle for change.
Results and impact
The campaign gave the Royal Society of Chemistry a distinctive platform for changing the conversation around studying chemistry.
By starting with the ambitions of young people rather than established perceptions of the subject, the creative made chemistry feel more culturally relevant and connected to the things prospective students care about.
The TRY concept provided a simple and memorable way to communicate chemistry’s breadth, while its flexibility allowed different executions to explore new topics and applications without losing the strength of the central campaign idea.
The result was stronger engagement with target youth audiences, clearer communication of chemistry’s wider societal impact and a scalable creative platform that can continue to evolve over time.
Ready to chat? We can help.
Let’s be honest – it’s probably better to have a chat about things first. Get in touch below and we’ll be in contact soon.
+44 (0)1223 841 699
say.hello@mobas.com
Let’s be honest – it’s probably better to have a chat about things first. Get in touch below and we’ll be in contact soon.
+44 (0)1223 841 699
say.hello@mobas.com
