Cisco 5G

5G isn’t just about cities – it’s a game-changer for rural communities too. As the Art Director on the 5G RuralFirst project, I worked with Cisco and a consortium of 30 partners to showcase how 5G can transform industries and lives far beyond urban areas.

When you think of futuristic technology, you might picture driverless cars, smart cities, or connected shopping malls. But this often overlooks rural areas, where basic connectivity is still a challenge. Our mission was to close that gap and highlight the potential of 5G in rural communities across the UK.

This 18-month project allowed me to lead on developing a visual identity that brought the initiative to life. We started by creating a suite of animated assets and short explainer videos to educate audiences about 5G. These lived on a custom-built website and were amplified by a paid social campaign, reaching over 47,500 people.

To build on this momentum, we hosted an event for 200 industry leaders, showcasing how 5G was already making an impact in rural areas. But we didn’t stop there. For the project’s final phase, I collaborated with composer Erland Cooper to create a unique soundscape from 5G-enabled microphones in Orkney. This 11-minute track, streamed live to a London studio, captured the vibrancy of rural life and industries. The piece resonated deeply, earning over 1,000 full listens, 30.5k views of the ‘making of’ video, and a feature on BBC Radio 6.

The campaign achieved its goal of positioning Cisco and 5G RuralFirst as the leading voices in rural connectivity. It also influenced government policy on spectrum sharing and started vital conversations about rural innovation.

As Vicki Deblasi, Cisco UKI’s Director of Innovation, put it: “This campaign has become the UK’s number one reference point for rural connectivity.”

It was a challenging, rewarding project that let me combine creativity, strategy, and storytelling to shine a light on the untapped potential of 5G for rural communities. Hearing praise from the DCMS was the icing on the cake:

“This team has run a truly exceptional and impactful campaign, engaging audiences with astonishingly creative style.”