West Midlands Combined Authority
Getting adults comfortable with learning numeracy

Outcomes

12.7 million
Impressions

72k
Clicks

1,309
Course applications

Marketing Challenge

Raise awareness of free adult numeracy courses in the West Midlands and remove the stigmas around attending them.

Behavioural Insight

A lack of numeracy skills can lead people to have negative emotions: anxiety, stress, confusion and low confidence. However, the thought of going back to ‘school’ brings up painful memories, outweighing any motivation to act.

Transformation

Our strategy shifts the focus from ‘learning maths’ to ‘getting comfortable with numbers’.

Therefore, the campaign was designed to help people feel comfortable with brushing up on their numeracy skills. The art direction, typography and copywriting all worked together to change the perception of adult learning environments. The campaign’s key visuals centred around brightly coloured numeracy sofas on which relatable learners sit comfortably.

This approach to creating awareness of adult numeracy learning is memorable because of its accessibility and positivity.

We activated a multi-channel approach to deliver the Multiply message across the funnel. Driving mass awareness of Multiply through high-reaching and audio channels. Then retargeting our core audience in one-to-one messaging environments across paid social. We ran a range of creatives throughout to ensure we avoided creative fatigue.

Three people sitting on blue, circular, modular seating with large text that says "Get Comfortable with Numeracy"
A smartphone displaying a website with the message "Get comfortable with Numeracy" and a red sofa illustration, placed on a blue textured surface.
A man sitting on a large green numeral 8 with text promoting free adult numeracy skills sessions funded by the UK government and Skills for Life multiply.
A large advertisement on a white textured wall promotes adult numeracy skills, funded by the UK Government. It features three people sitting on blue, foam-like shapes, smiling and engaging in conversation. A cyclist passes by in the foreground.
Smiling woman wearing a denim jacket sitting indoors, with a quote about helping with daughter’s math homework on a bright orange background.
Multiple people, including men and women of various ages and ethnicities, sitting and interacting on colorful, curved modular seats in a studio with a plain white background.
A green box of calming comfort scented candle with sandalwood and lavender, a lit white candle in a brown holder, on a textured green surface
Digital advertising display in a supermarket entrance promoting talking maths homework with a background image of a person’s legs and feet and a red geometric shape with white text.
A blue sofa with a green pillow that says 'Keep Calm and Get Comfortable with Numeracy'. A black shelving unit with folded clothes is beside the sofa, against a white wall.
Two tea bags with green tags on a red textured surface. One tea bag's tag reads 'Brush Up Over A Brew' and the other's reads 'Get Comfortable with Compost.'
A woman sitting on a large, blue, modern-shaped bench with a quote above her that reads, ‘I used to avoid doing my banking. Now I take it in my stride,’ funded by UK Government, against a blue background.
Tablets screen displaying a website about numeracy skills, placed on a green textured surface.
An informational brochure about adult numeracy skills featuring three images of people sitting on colorful geometric benches, with quotes related to working out overtime hours, helping with homework, and managing household budgets.
Five fitness posters promoting adult numeracy skills sessions, each with a person sitting on colorful geometric shapes and text highlighting that the sessions are free, relaxed, and funded by the UK government.