Gas safety is not top of mind for most people – until something goes wrong.

15 years ago, Gas Safety Week was launched, an industry event with the objective of educating consumers and the industry at large to the dangers of not checking gas appliances, as well as driving carbon monoxide awareness. Getting the message across is now more urgent than ever. In the current economic climate, with money tight, some people might be tempted to take the risk and try to fix their own faulty gas appliance rather than having it regularly checked.

With a campaign delivery date fixed a year in advance, we knew timescales could not slip at all so we focused on executing a straightforward plan and doing it well:

• To spark conversations, we carried out consumer surveys to see how likely people were to work on their own gas appliances, even though they might lack the proper qualifications and skills.
• To gain trust, we built a campaign around a well-known figurehead – broadcaster and DIY troubleshooter, Nick Knowles.

The story was then pitched to national and local media. To maximise impact we also decided to give the campaign a high profile focal point by staging a nationwide broadcast day.

We provided our client, Gas Safe Register, with daily updates on coverage and any emerging opportunities, plus a more detailed wash-up at the end of the campaign, so everyone felt constantly engaged.

The overall campaign secured coverage in national, regional, and local news media. As for the broadcast day, it gained national coverage on BBC Radio 4, as well as multiple BBC local stations. It was also picked up for syndication to over 300 independent commercial stations.