“Data poverty” is one of those emotion triggers that marketing likes to inflict on people. But the emotive power of O2’s campaign by VCCP is strong before the term appears to annoy you. VCCP’s relatable scenarios, simple metaphor, and poignant song are a three-pronged powerhouse for an O2 initiative that gives goodness that’s needed – free data for those in need.
The O2 Christmas campaign highlights the fact that data (an essential in today’s world) costs and some people can’t afford to buy enough of it. It raises awareness of the National Databank, founded by Virgin Media O2 in 2021, with leading digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation,provides free O2 mobile data, texts and calls to those in need.
Ofcom estimates there are currently around two million households living in “data poverty”, where people are unable to get online and carry out everyday tasks – from booking appointments to doing homework and crucially, staying in touch with loved ones.
The campaign’s lead 60-second commercial shows snowflakes made of SIM cards gently falling from the sky into the hands of those who had been disconnected, showing how they can get online with free O2 data. To highlight the stories of those experiencing “data poverty”, VCCP’s global content creation studio, Girl&Bear, worked with awarded director, Stefanie Soho, and SMUGGLER, with The Mill working on VFX. The film is set to the song, Snowfall, by Ingrid Michaelson.
The full campaign includes a landing page has been cleverly designed and built as a zero-rated webpage exempt from any data charges, so it’s accessible to those with insufficient data. Through this webpage, those in need can find their nearest O2 store to access free mobile data. This was built by VCCP’s digital experience agency, Bernadette.
Simon Valcarcel, marketing director at Virgin Media O2, stated,“With around two million households now experiencing data poverty, we wanted to use our platform this festive season to share the realities of not having data in an honest and relatable way, while raising awareness of the support available via the National Databank. Through this campaign, we hope to encourage people across the country to spread the word that those in need can get free O2 mobile data from their nearest O2 store.”
David Masterman, deputy executive creative director at VCCP, added, “It’s easy to take for granted, but data is an essential utility. It’s necessary to book doctor’s appointments, for kids to do homework, so many of our day-to-day activities – we wanted to bring this to life in this campaign by telling those stories and pointing people in the right direction to get support from O2.”
This is the third time that O2 has spotlighted the National Databank in its ATL Christmas campaign, previously the focal point in Bubl Army and Snowgran.
The campaign is running across cinema, TV, VOD, online, ooh, social, radio and retail, and will run until December 31. Media planning and buying has been led by MG OMD.
Credits
Client: O2
Director of Brand & Marketing: Rachel Swift
Marketing Director: Simon Valcarcel
Head Of Advertising And Campaigns: Richard Bown
Senior Campaign Managers: Kate Allen-Perry & Ella Hassall
PR & Social: Olivia Mckee, Jemma Johns, Simon Feldman & Rachael Courtney
Sustainability: Simon Davis, Josephine Parmee & Jade Baker
Advertising Agency: VCCP
Deputy Executive Creative Director: David Masterman
Associate Creative Directors: Ben Mccarthy & Seb Housden
Business Director: Alexandra Gluck
Senior Account Director: Ollie Humphries
Account Director: Jos Kirby
Account Manager: Lily Hubbard
Planning Director: Lotte Jones
Agency TV Producer: David Vass
Production Assistant: Oona Webster Jones
Broadcast Affairs Manager: Katie Singer
Agency Creative Producer: Yusuf Mountstephen
Production Studio: Girl&Bear
Design: Adam Edwards
Artwork: Nick Normann
Studio Manager: James Perry
Resource Coordinator: Yas Moridi
Production Company: Smuggler
Director: Stefanie Soho
Managing Director: Fergus Brown
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Lucy Kelly
Producer: Barty Dearden
DoP: Rina Yang
Editing: Cabin Edit
Editors: Emma Backman & Craig Griffiths
Producers: Elin Tiberg & Amber Clayton
Post-Production: The Mill
Creative Director: Anthony Bloor
Senior Producer: Kathryn Wigginton
2D Lead: Dan Lorenzini
3D Lead: Laurent Giaume
Colour: Untold Studios
Colourist: Julien Alary
Producers: Ellie Joseph & Eli Sandal
Audio Post-Production: Factory
Sound Engineer & CCO: Anthony Moore
Senior Audio Producer: Beth Massey
Music: Siren
Company Director & Music Supervisor: Sian Rogers
Associate Music Supervisor: Alice Benton
Digital Experience Agency: Bernadette
Project Manager: Nayef (Nay) Hassan
Creative Director & Head of 3D & Motion: Jon Bancroft
Senior Designer: Martin Pavlica
Principal UX Designer: Chris Hobbs
Media Buying Agency: Manning Gottlieb OMD
