When people think of creativity, they tend to picture art, music and often advertising. Science and technology isn’t an immediate association. Yet some of the most impactful scientific breakthroughs of our time are only making real-world progress because of the creative ideas that help them connect with the public.
Take the Mammoth Meatball, the first meatball made from the DNA of the long-extinct Woolly Mammoth. Some might dismiss this as a PR stunt. But a strategic PR stunt can have real world impact. The Mammoth Meatball was a carefully designed, creative provocation aimed at sparking a global conversation about the future of food. Created using resurrected mammoth DNA and lab-grown meat technology, the meatball wasn’t made to be eaten. It was made to be noticed. And it was – with media coverage in over 65 countries and an estimated reach of 2.3 billion people.
The campaign not only went viral; it shifted cultured meat from a niche biotech experiment into a matter of mainstream interest. It catalysed government engagement, unlocked fresh funding opportunities, and reignited debate around how we can feed the planet more sustainably. In the UK, it contributed to increased public understanding and political discussion of cultured meat as a viable alternative to traditional agriculture.
It’s a powerful example that technological progress alone is not enough. In fields like biotech, climate science, and synthetic food, real-world impact depends on cultural momentum and that’s what creativity unlocks. Breaking out of the lab and into the world takes more than innovation – it requires the ability to tell a compelling story, stir emotion, and translate complex science into something tangible, relatable, and inspiring.
From DNA to Demand: making the abstract real
Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of working on projects that sit at the intersection of creativity and scientific exploration. From mammoth meatballs to T-Rex leather, it’s not about gimmicks, it’s about bold, thought-provoking ideas. We’re demonstrating how storytelling can play a meaningful role in shaping public perception and policy around innovation.
We’ve actually been exploring how data, tech and creativity can work together for a while. Before the term Generative AI was part of the public psyche, in 2016, we looked at if and how AI could create original and meaningful art. We worked with data and computer scientists to create The Next Rembrandt – a new painting made entirely using data from Rembrandt’s original works. The idea wasn’t just to see if we could do it, but to open up his art and the way Rembrandt created to a new generation and show what AI can do in a way that people could relate to. It brought emerging technology into public conversation – not through theory, but through something people could actually see and feel: a 3D printed painting.
Because the truth is, many scientists are solving for tomorrow. But too often, they’re doing so in silos – disconnected from the audiences their work is meant to benefit. That’s where creativity comes in. It acts as a bridge: helping people understand, feel, and imagine futures they might otherwise ignore or resist.
We saw this again with the launch of T-Rex leather – a prototype material made with information from resurrected dinosaur DNA. While the leather itself isn’t headed to mass production (yet), the project’s real purpose was to start conversations. What should we be resurrecting? Who decides what’s ethically acceptable in synthetic biology? Can science help us build a more responsible – not just more advanced – society? The campaign sparked this debate globally, reaching an audience of over 800 million.
These aren’t easy questions. But they are necessary ones. And they won’t get asked – or answered – unless the public feels invested. That’s why storytelling matters. Not just to sell an idea, but to help people emotionally connect with it.
Telling stories that matter
We don’t need everyone to understand the science behind CRISPR, cell cultivation or carbon capture. We need them to care. And caring starts with being able to imagine and believe in what the future might look like.
In advertising the goal is always to create something that captures people’s attention and that they might care about. I’d argue that’s just as relevant to science and innovation. If you’re a researcher, founder, or policymaker working on the next big breakthrough, you can’t just rely on the facts. You need a narrative. A symbol. A feeling. Something that invites people in.
Creativity helps you get there. It transforms data into drama. It takes the obscure and makes it obvious. It turns the invisible – DNA strands, molecules, climate models – into something we can see, touch, and talk about. It unlocks demand not by dumbing things down, but by making them emotionally resonant.
Of course, there’s a responsibility here too. When creativity intersects with science, the goal isn’t to overhype or distort. It’s to translate. To respect the integrity of the research while also recognising that humans don’t make decisions based on logic alone. We respond to stories. We’re moved by meaning.
Creativity that demands a response
If we want society to embrace the solutions we so desperately need – from more ethical food systems to climate adaptation technologies – then those solutions need to be brought to life in ways that feel real, urgent, and inspiring.
This is not a new idea. The best science communicators have always been storytellers at heart – from David Attenborough to today’s generation of science-influencers on TikTok. But in a world of ever-fragmenting attention, it’s never been more important to capture the imagination early – to get people talking before the headline is written for you.
Creativity doesn’t just sell culture, it can help accelerate science. It can make the unfamiliar familiar. It can help people imagine better futures and more importantly, want to build them.
Bas Korsten
Bas Korsten is Global Chief Creative Officer at VML, known for blending creativity with science and technology. He’s behind award-winning campaigns like The Next Rembrandt and The Mammoth Meatball, which sparked global conversations around AI and cultured meat. With 56 Cannes Lions (including 6 Grand Prix) and a D&AD Black Pencil, Bas has helped redefine how storytelling drives innovation, public engagement, and policy change across biotech, climate science, and synthetic biology.
