Institute of physics

No one should be limited in life by other people’s prejudices. But the Institute of Physics saw young people being excluded from physics because of stereotypes, like that white boys are somehow better suited to physics, or that you have to be a born genius to do well in the subject.

The Limit Less campaign challenges these harmful stereotypes, asking families and teachers to recognise that narrow views can limit opportunities for young people – and to commit to limit them less.

The thinking behind Limit Less arose from a series of focus groups with families of secondary school students, from various socio-economic groups and various regions of the UK.

The goal of the campaign is to see more young people, from all backgrounds, choosing to do physics at 16. It was clear from the research that promoting physics to young people themselves wouldn’t be enough to create change. The campaign needed to target parents who think physics won’t provide enough career options, careers advisers who think only gifted students can do physics, and other misinformed gatekeepers discouraging young people from taking the subject.

Limit Less walks a fine line: making a strong case for the audience to change their behaviour, but without alienating them. We achieve this by focusing on the young people, their positivity, potential and aspirations.

Bright, aspirational imagery presents alternative views of what physics students can look like, and of what it looks like to engage in the subject. Bold headlines urge the audience to be part of the solution, not the problem.

Because the young people who choose physics today will be the ones who tackle the world’s biggest challenges in the future.