HMS Unicorn:
Public Relations Campaign 2022-2023

The Campaign brief

Scotland’s oldest ship, HMS Unicorn, has been part of Dundee’s waterfront for almost 200 years. But while the historic vessel was well loved locally, its profile beyond the city was relatively low, and awareness of the charity’s vital preservation work was limited.

Cunningly Good Group was appointed to deliver a five-month PR campaign, from October 2022 to February 2023, to raise awareness of HMS Unicorn locally, nationally and internationally, build public support and lay the foundations for a major fundraising drive.

The campaign would also help generate momentum for Project Safe Haven, an ambitious plan to relocate the ship to Dundee’s East Graving Dock as the centrepiece of a new Maritime Heritage Centre.

With a budget of £10,500, our objectives were to increase visitor numbers by 50%, boost sign-ups to HMS Unicorn’s Friends membership scheme by 50%, and secure significant national media coverage for the first time since March 2021.

Cunningly Good Group’s Approach

We knew HMS Unicorn had an extraordinary story to tell. Our challenge was to get more people listening, and crucially, give them a reason to get involved.

Drawing on community consultation findings which demonstrated strong local affection for the ship, we developed a proactive media relations campaign designed to turn heritage into headlines and awareness into support.

We identified a series of compelling stories, from a £20,000 donation by American billionaire John Paul DeJoria and a £100,000 gift from The Headley Trust, to major restoration works, national heritage recognition and the ship’s reopening.

We also shone a spotlight on Wavemakers, HMS Unicorn’s successful volunteering programme, highlighting how the ship was not only preserving maritime history but helping people in Dundee develop skills and progress towards employment.

Alongside securing coverage, we tackled another challenge: reinvigorating the ship’s underperforming Friends membership scheme, which had previously been perceived as exclusive and inaccessible. Working with the client, we launched Shipmates, a more welcoming and attractive membership offering, just in time for Christmas.

We partnered with Dundee artist Whimsical Lush and social enterprise The Workshop Aberfeldy to create beautifully illustrated, laser-engraved wooden membership cards, presented in gift boxes. New benefits, including the opportunity to bring a friend aboard for free, helped broaden the scheme’s appeal. We supported the launch with targeted media relations, email marketing, promotion through ASVA and Dundee Chamber of Commerce, and a presence at the Chamber’s Christmas fair.

All this was delivered against the added challenge of HMS Unicorn being closed for restoration works during much of the campaign. Rather than allowing the closure to silence the story, we kept the ship firmly in the spotlight, building anticipation for its reopening.

The Cunningly Good Results

The campaign delivered exceptional results, achieving all three objectives and proving that even when a visitor attraction is closed, great storytelling can open doors.

More than 200 pieces of media coverage secured across regional, national and international media.
3.96 million estimated coverage views and 18,300 engagements generated.
Four features on STV News, alongside BBC coverage including Out of Doors on BBC Radio Scotland and The Nine.
National coverage in The Independent, The Times, Daily Telegraph, i paper, Woman Magazine and Scotland Magazine.
1,008 visitors in March 2023, more than double the previous monthly record of 481 set in 2019, based on records dating back to 2013.
The Shipmates launch generated more memberships and donations than HMS Unicorn had received in the previous two years.

Crucially, the impact went well beyond positive headlines. In the first week of March 2023, following the ship’s reopening, revenue was up by 48% compared with 2022 figures.

From record-breaking visitor numbers to renewed membership support and widespread national media attention, the campaign transformed HMS Unicorn’s visibility at a pivotal moment in its history.

The campaign was shortlisted in the Best use of Media Relations category at the 2023 CIPR Scotland PRide Awards.