Taming the Beast: How lab grown dinosaur leather shows where PR is going

Let me just have a moment. 

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I attended  my first Cannes Lions in 2023 and spent a lot of time in the Palais (there was less fringe to speak of then and no Propeller list).

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I was dazzled by the celebrities, the award ceremonies and most of all, the weight and resonance of the awards themselves. As winners piled onto the stage in groups of 10, 20 or more, I also realised that each award was won, not by one agency (although one agency led it) but  through collaboration. 

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This year, Propeller won its first Gold and Silver Lions. And it was an epic partnership with VML.  This time, I saw the auditorium from the stage and it was girl-crush iconic. 

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Cannes Gold or no, partnership is the crucial word. So here’s why it matters that PR partners are involved in campaigns from the get-go. 

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VML wanted to create a cultural moment. Our brief was to tell the story of a lab-grown leather made from Tyrannosaurus Rex DNA extracted from collagen proteins, a collaboration between The Organoid Company, Lab-Grown Leather Ltd and VML. The goal was to generate international media attention, spark public debate and position VML as a pioneer in the creative application of emerging technologies. To make the leap from bold concept to business credibility.
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PR embedded 
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‍So often PR is an afterthought and the agency partner is brought in too late to achieve the impact that the project deserves. The T-Rex campaign reinforced something we've preached for a long time – the best PR isn't bolted onto creativity at the end, it's embedded from day one.
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Propeller was involved from the very first meeting with VML, the scientists and the biotech teams. We were part of shaping the story before there was even a finished campaign, or even a finished bag!
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Being in the room with scientists, creatives and key partners meant we understood the story, the science and the nuance long before we thought about media outreach..
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So we weren’t brought in to launch a  finished campaign. We helped shape what made it genuinely newsworthy.
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We devised a PR strategy that fused science, sustainability and style into one story- led by a high-impact media plan. We began with a targeted exclusive in The Times, framing the story through a scientific lens with a culturally resonant hook. VML’s Global Chief Creative Officer, Innovation, Bas Korsten anchored the narrative, tying the innovation to broader ethical and commercial implications.
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We then created a wave of interest – building from national press to international coverage across broadcast and online. The result was a sustained narrative that kept the campaign in the conversation and positioned VML at the intersection of innovation and ethics.
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The best PR is a creative process
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The strongest PR isn't simply campaign amplification, it's part of the creative process itself. After all, a brilliant idea doesn't automatically become a great news story.
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Every day we see fantastic creative ideas. It’s part and parcel of working at a busy agency with clients doing ground-breaking work. The opportunity is knowing how to turn those ideas into something journalists genuinely want to cover.
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With T-Rex Leather that meant:

• Identifying the right exclusive.
• Pitching the story straight into  The Times Science Correspondent rather than a marketing or fashion journalist.
• Positioning it as a scientific breakthrough and cultural talking point rather than an agency campaign.
• Carefully sequencing the rollout of the news distribution so the exclusive created momentum before taking it to wider national, broadcast and international media.
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That strategy helped turn one story, one idea and one press release into a big global conversation.
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Great ideas create opportunity. Great PR unlocks and amplifies it. 
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And proves that Lions and Dinosaurs can make the best partnership of all.