Chemistry’s storm in a (salty) teacup

Client: Royal Society of Chemistry

In late 2023, Weber Shandwick was asked by the Royal Society of Chemistry to help promote a new book on the chemistry of tea. Written by American scientist, Dr Michelle Francl, Steeped would go into great depth about how to use science to improve your tea-making skills.

Knowing how Brits love their tea, the team quickly hit upon an idea – we would brew up a storm by getting Dr Francl to ‘school’ the UK on how to make a cuppa. Weber Shandwick pitched the story to every newsdesk in the country and brewed up a debate that sent ripples across the world. Not only did copies of Steeped sell out within 24 hours, we created a transatlantic diplomatic incident and delivered a combined global digital news and social reach of 19.5 billion. Now that’s how to spill the tea!