When McAfee threw down the challenge of making McAfee hot consumer news to Red, it was clear we needed a ‘star’ quality story.

We did this by revealing cyberspace’s most dangerous celebrities – where cybercriminals use celebrity news and photos to lure internet users to fake websites that look legitimate but contain malware embedded in content.
We first identified the most-talked about and searched-for celebrities on the web and then, using McAfee’s free SiteAdvisor tool which flags sites as risky or safe, we conducted searches for the most popular UK stars to determine which turned up the riskiest results.

The campaign successfully captured the media’s imagination - generating over 80 pieces across national and regional print, broadcast, consumer, trade and online media.

By focusing internet and computer security around a topic with mass appeal, our campaign successfully reignited consumer and media interest in a tired and well reported topic through this new and original angle.

The campaign was named "Best UK & Ireland Campaign (fees under £50,000)" at the EMEA Sabre Awards 2010.

Colleagues in our San Francisco office have also picked up awards for their work on the campaign. In 2010, they won PR Week’s "Best Global PR Campaign” and also "Best Global Program 2010" at the North American Sabre Awards.