With social networking proving to be the online phenomenon of 2007, Johnson King and Sophos led the way in educating internet users about the perils of lax online behaviour, with a campaign centred around a small plastic frog.

Recognising the increased risks of ID theft arising from social networking, Johnson King developed a Facebook profile page for the frog – named Freddi Staur (an anagram of 'ID Fraudster') – to see how many randomly ‘poked’ users would hand over sensitive information to a complete stranger.

An astonishing 41 percent of users responded, handing over phone numbers, email addresses, current locations and employment details. Johnson King compiled and analysed the data, before delivering the story to the UK media to coincide with the publication of Sophos's best-practice guide to using Facebook.

The Facebook security probe campaign proved one of the most high-profile security stories of the year, achieving 300+ print/online cuts and thirty pieces of broadcast coverage to date, including slots on BBC News, Sky News, and Channel 4 News.

As well as gracing the pages of Financial Times, The Times, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal, to name but a few, the campaign was highly effective in driving traffic to the Sophos website as well as making a positive impression on Sophos's Google search engine optimisation rankings with hot traffic keywords.

Carole Theriault, senior security consultant at Sophos, notes: "Johnson King worked with us to formulate intelligent and innovative strategies which helped the media make the transition from recognising Sophos as a security company to one offering protection and control solutions for wide range of IT hazards.

By making the topic fresh and interesting, securing excellent opportunities and responding quickly and effectively to media requests, Johnson King was key to this recent success."

This campaign won 'Technology PR Campaign of the Year' at the 2008 CNET Networks UK Business Technology Awards and was shortlisted in the ‘UK PR Campaign of the Year’ category at the European Excellence Awards 2007.