Successful take-off for the Peace One Day missile

The launch took place in a field in Cambridge on Friday evening, despite the planned screening being cancelled on the day.

Of the screening cancellation, a spokesperson for Leo Burnett explained; “Making missiles is a tricky business so technical glitches do arise. Unfortunately we encountered one on Friday morning and, at first inspection, weren't certain how quickly it could be rectified. We know your time is valuable so we took the precaution of cancelling the screening. With the value of hindsight we were a little hasty as the technical glitch was fixed, the missile launched and the film ready and live on our website by 7.30pm Friday evening."

The screening would have live streamed the launch to a group of journalists and people who worked on the campaign.

Meanwhile, of the Missile launch itself, Giles Hedger, group managing director and chief strategy officer for Leo Burnett Group, explained: “With the public sector temporarily quiet in the UK, Leo Burnett has channeled its significant expertise into a new branded entity called, straightforwardly, Change. Change was conceived in 2011 and is already working with clients on assignments as diverse as pregnancy health, cocaine abuse and the human rights of children. The White Pencil brief is being answered by the Leo Burnett London Group as a whole, but with Change as the consultancy brand at the heart of the project.”

He continued: "What began as an awards entry has turned into a live and compelling campaign that the whole group has lent its expertise to although this is the first time we have launched a missile in the name of world peace. Let the catharsis begin."

Peace One Day was also the theme for Friday’s Design Podge Lunch, which saw a video link up established with other Podge events taking place at the same time in New York and Hong Kong.