Macmillan Cancer Support,
Go Sober
Driving national awareness and record-breaking fundraising through creative PR
THE CHALLENGE
Macmillan Cancer Support wanted to raise awareness of its national fundraising event, Go Sober, which encourages participants to give up alcohol for a month and get sponsored.
In its second year, the campaign aimed to build momentum, reach younger and more diverse audiences, and drive sign-ups—despite being a non-physical event.
THE GOAL
Beat the previous year’s £1million fundraising total.
THE PR APPROACH
Over six months, I led a multi-channel PR strategy designed to spark interest, drive sign-ups, and create national buzz. Tactics included:
🍹 Partnering with a mixologist from iconic London bar Mahiki to create bespoke mocktail recipes and visuals
🎤 Securing interviews with high-profile personalities including Laura Whitmore and TOWIE star Lewis Bloor
📊 Commissioning two survey-led news stories:
The average Brit spends a year of their life hungover
The annual cost of drinking for UK adults
🧠 Featuring expert commentary from a psychologist (pro bono)
📝 Leading blogger outreach and placing human-interest stories of people who benefited from going sober
THE RESULTS
166
pieces of national coverage across outlets
including The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Metro, The Guardian, Express, Yahoo, and leading women’s magazines
Went
Global
Our headline story went global appearing in media across India, Australia, and America
100K+
sign-ups and £3 million raised—tripling the original fundraising target
97M
(million) opportunities to see the campaign
Sparked commentary
from columnists
including Janet Street Porter, Fiona Phillips, and Nadia Sawalha
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