The Natural History Museum’s Venom: Killer and Cure exhibition was a detailed look at  some of the world’s most venomous creatures and their surprising connection to human health. 

Visitors could see the world through the eyes of both predator and prey and explore the effects of venom and the role it plays in the natural world. 

The Museum approached us for ideas on how to promote the exhibition online.

A screenshot of the title screen of the Would You Rather game for NHM
Devices showing the NHM Venom Challenge
A screen telling you you have been too slow to answer the Venom Challenge
The NHM venom gallery
Someone reading information about the venom challenge on a phone.  The text says within seconds I started feeling the effects.  Blurred vision, jelly-like legs and a horrifying sense of panic.
A person choosing between a duck billed platypus and a spider on an iPad
A photo of the venom gallery at the natural history museum

After a workshop with the exhibition team to understand its content and tone, we developed ideas which could push the boundaries of being  edgy, humorous and frightening.

Our response to the challenge was to develop a killer game of “Would You Rather?”, where players had to choose between two scary-looking creatures to identify which was the most dangerous to humans, with frequently surprising results. Rounds of the game were interspersed with horrifying real-life anecdotes from people who had been bitten, stung or otherwise poisoned.

The resulting experience was designed to be unnerving, educational and shareable, drawing people in with a simple “challenge” game mechanic, and then giving them an insight into what the exhibition had in store and bringing the science to scary life. With the 25-35 age range in mind, the experience was designed to be “˜snack-able”, played quickly and then shared amongst friends and on social media.

Analysis of feedback and analytics indicated that the game was more successful than traditional marketing methods of videos, and delivered at a fraction of the budget. 

  • Devices showing the NHM Venom Challenge
  • A screen telling you you have been too slow to answer the Venom Challenge