The Arts University Bournemouth was the headline sponsor of Arts Festival by the Sea.
A 6m pink shell was a way to represent their involvement and also to show the value of surprise in creativity. When entering the shell, visitors discovered a 97.7% neon sign. This alluded to students' employment rate 6 months after graduating.
The Big Pink Shell fuelled a Facebook photo competition, a Tumblr blog and was featured on many design blogs and Creative Review. It continues to serve as a roving ambient mascot for the University, popping up at events and random places all over the country.