1 million species are at threat of extinction, with food production as a substantial driver. 14.5% of all human-caused global greenhouse gas emissions attribute to meat production. Growing meat consumption also results in inhumane conditions for animals. While ecological and ethical boundaries are met, human evolution rages on. By 2050, we'll need two planets to feed our growing population. At least, without radical and urgent changes.

But alternatives are on the rise. Cultured meat reduces the impact on the environment, is cruelty-free and can be designed to be preferable in both taste and nutritional value.

Yet Singapore still stands alone in having legally approved cultured meat for commercial sale. Global legalization and acceptance are being held back by a powerful meat lobby and the public perception of inability to change. We teamed up with ‘Vow’, international experts and scientists to change the debate and the willingness to eat differently.

The woolly mammoth is a symbol of loss and the drastic impact of climate change. The Mammoth Meatball is a ‘world’s first’ - by using innovative technology, we managed to turn the DNA from extinct wooly mammoth into a symbol of hope, illustrating the potential of eating ourselves out of extinction.

We sparked hope by making the seemingly impossible happen, turning what is no longer here into an icon of today: the meatball. An instantly recognizable dish in mammoth size for added impact. An image that would instantly go viral.

The idea is not designed to make people eat mammoth meat, but to make a statement that opens perspectives, discussions, and possibilities. Uniting complex innovations with an easy concept makes people question our today and consider alternatives for the future.

The aim was to make cultured meat a mainstream topic without any media budget. So we created an unmissable statement with a serious message. The future of food needs to be questioned and changed.

To go mass media we developed as many different angles as possible - appealing to all audiences, from BBC World service to CNN to Stephen Colbert and even kids TV - sparking a huge cultural shift.

That's why, we revealed the meatball to the press and the world in a conference at Nemo, Amsterdam's leading Science Museum. Instead of telling how we can change our future, we needed to show we can.

An exclusive ahead of the event with The Guardian made us build hype and momentum. The attention-grabbing hero image of the meatball rolled into pop culture sparking memes, podcasts, TikToks, excitement, and became an instant trending topic.

Building a consumer relationship started by developing the meatball as a conversation starter. The first steps were to identify the Mammoth gene, finding the right DNA sequence to cultivate meat, completing gaps in the DNA sequence with the genome of the African elephant. To finally insert the gene into a cell to be grown and multiplied, just like a mammoth would have done naturally.

The campaign that turned the piece of meat into a story was prepared to magnify the reveal on March 28, 2023. During the Food Futurism event, experts and thought leaders shed a light over the innovation from their perspective to capture different angles. We connected with major press titles to get the story started. From here on the public debate was supported with a campaign website, a campaign movie and by displaying the actual meatball in museum Boerhaave.

By creating a direct connection with the audience we made them experience an alternative food future. Via social media, a website, a campaign video, and the exhibition people could interact with the subject on different levels.

By only using PR, we reached 13 billion impressions. 12.500 written articles and global broadcasts amounted to an advertising value of $120 million. Being skyrocketed, the Mammoth Meatball found its way to social media feeds of people globally.

We got the world to know cultured meat and changed its negative associations into anticipation to try. After seeing the campaign, 80% recognised the negative impact of the current meat industry on the environment and biodiversity loss and nearly 7/10 people perceived cultured meat as being nutritious, safe, healthy and tasty. Making 3/4th of respondents indicating cultured meat as an exciting, sustainable & realistic alternative.

The result: 95,7% increase in willingness to try cultured meat.