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Nil by Mouth have teamed up with students from City of Glasgow College on the campaign which will run online and across Glasgow over the festive period.  

Students Anna Burns, Carly Scott, Erin Morrison, Keira McGowan and Niamh Vaughan devised a series of eye-catching graphics based on text speak using everyday expressions and abbreviations to highlight the change the charity is working to create in society. The aim is to connect the charity with a younger demographic and highlight ways they can support its work across the country.  

The students won Nil by Mouth’s 2025 ‘Pitch Perfect’ competition ran in conjunction with the college and which this year marked its tenth anniversary. Each year more than 100 marketing and advertising students compete to design a campaign aimed at promoting the charity’s objectives as part of their HNC/D qualification. The process involves presentations from Nil by Mouth staff and figures from the world of marketing and charity campaigning. Students are then split into two dozen groups to develop a campaign over a six-month period before being pitched against each other in a semi-final graded by lectures and NbM staff.

The project has won praise at Holyrood as well as backing from European footballs governing body UEFA and since its launch in 2015 more than 1,000 students have participated in the project, enhancing their professional skills, gaining real life industry experience, obtaining academic qualifications and helping tackle the deep seated and complex societal problem of sectarianism.  

The group’s 2025 winning entry hugely impressed the judging panel and was commissioned by the charity with digital advertising boards across the city centre disposing it across December generating thousands of extra hits to the Nil by Mouth website.

Carly Scott said:

We wanted to create a campaign that speaks to young people on our level and in rms we use every day. We produced something simple and eye-catching which will hopefully encourage people to take a second look and consider what else these phrases and abbreviations can mean. Our OMG doesn’t stand for ‘Oh My God’ but ‘Outdated Mindsets Gone’ something we believe the majority of people in Scotland want to happen to sectarianism. We are delighted with the impact so far with Nil by Mouth’s website and social media feeds having several thousand more hits than usual. Their support has helped amplify our message and tens of thousands of people will see our message as they go about their business in the city centre.’

Director Dave Scott said:

‘Nil by Mouth was founded by a teenage girl who wasn’t afraid to ask questions or accept that things would never change. Pitch Perfect has always proved a brilliant way for our charity to tap into the creativity and passion of young people and this year’s winning entry has been successful because it’s been driven by their energy and understanding of their peers. We’ve already had a few offers of help from people who have seen the campaign and that shows the positive impact that investing in colleges can have for charities like ours.’