Ben McBean

The Challenge

The challenge was to sensitively and authentically tell the story of Ben McBean, a former Royal Marine who survived life-changing injuries after stepping on an IED in Afghanistan in 2008, losing both an arm and a leg.

Beyond the initial incident, Ben’s story carries deep emotional weight, from the trauma of the explosion itself to the ongoing realities of living with a disability, including public misunderstandings around what disability “looks like.”

The objective was to elevate Ben’s PR profile while ensuring his story was handled with care and integrity, shifting the narrative from sympathy to strength and using his experiences to inspire hope among fellow servicemen, veterans, and individuals living with disabilities.

The Approach

The campaign focused on a thoughtful, human-first PR strategy that prioritised authenticity and impact. Media opportunities were carefully selected to allow Ben to share his experiences in his own voice, balancing the realities of trauma with his journey of recovery, resilience, and personal growth.

A combination of broadcast, print, and digital PR was used to position Ben not only as a veteran with an extraordinary story but also as a motivational figure with a powerful message. Alongside traditional media outreach, his social identity was supported to ensure consistent messaging, amplifying themes of perseverance and mental strength and redefining perceptions of disability.

The Outcome

The campaign resulted in strong, positive media coverage across both broadcast and print platforms, successfully elevating Ben McBean’s public profile.

Coverage consistently reflected his message of resilience and perspective, helping to shift public perception and spark important conversations around disability and recovery. Through this exposure, Ben was able to share not just his story but also a wider message of hope and inspiration, reaching audiences who could relate to his experiences and those encountering them for the first time.