Smile Train UK

Smile Train is the world’s largest cleft charity who we worked with for over 10 years on a sustained UK PR & social media brief to raise awareness of the plethora of physical, mental and social challenges faced by children born with a cleft around the world.

Our primary aim has been to educate the UK public on the unique work Smile Train carry out in over 95 countries across the globe and the ways in which receiving cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care can have a life-changing impact.

In the UK, children born with a cleft lip and/or palate are treated promptly on the NHS.

However, across much of the world, the situation is very different – with many communities throughout Asia, Africa, and Central and South America not having the local medical resources necessary to treat children with the condition. As a result, these children face a lifetime of complex medical and social challenges.

Over the years, we have worked to bring Smile Train’s cause to the forefront of public consciousness and ensure the plight of these children resonates with a UK audience through sustained press office, media relations, and creative PR and social media activations.

Key tactics have included educational feature creation, expert commentary, data stories, social first campaigns, celebrity and influencer engagement, case study placement, fundraiser stories, and launching OOH activity around key calendar moments such as World Smile Day.

Through this ongoing work, we have ensured that Smile Train UK and the topic of cleft have remained a constant presence across the national, consumer, broadcast, and regional media.

As a result, we have significantly increased Smile Train’s profile in the UK and introduced them a wide audience of potential donors and supporters.