#Snaillove came about after Dr. Angus Davison, in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham, approached Emma Thorne, media relations manager, for help with a research project. Davison had a one-in-a-million, left-handed, anti-clockwise spiralling snail. He needed offspring from the snail to be able to study the genetics of this rare condition. But the snail's genetic deformity made it impossible for him to mate with other normal garden snails. Emma, always working to find new ways to enhance the reputation of the university through media coverage, created a plan which involved naming the snail and using the power of the media to help find a similarly coiling mate.
From the Judges' Report
Judges loved the Jeremy the Snail campaign, a broad, global communications effort by the University of Nottingham to find a mate for a rare “lefty” snail. The institution’s School of Life Sciences worked closely with the media relations office to develop the campaign, which successfully galvanized attention from various media outlets around the globe and ultimately led to Jeremy finding his mate. Giving the snail a name was a smart way of “personalizing” the story – and led to the creation of love songs and special Twitter accounts. The campaign also raised the global profile of the University of Nottingham and helped share information about the type of research being conducted at the institution in a relatable (and fun) way.
