‘Find the beautiful game in beautiful places’

O2 celebrates the discovery and freedom enabled by inclusive EU roaming in latest campaign.

Today, O2 and its creative agency of record VCCP have unveiled ‘Find the beautiful game in beautiful places’, an integrated campaign celebrating inclusive EU roaming on O2, and the freedom that comes with it.

While abroad, travellers rely on roaming to find hidden gems, idyllic scenes, and local culture but this summer is set to be different. Across Europe, holidaymakers will also be using their data to find the best spots to watch the football. ‘Find the beautiful game in beautiful places’ is born out of this cultural moment. From scrolling social media to discovering the best place to watch the game to using maps to get there, data roaming is the ultimate holiday essential. As the only major UK network that lets all of its customers roam freely in the EU up to 25GB at no extra cost, O2 is using its market-leading proposition to enable travellers to find, discover and watch the game from wherever they please.

In the fifth year since O2 committed to its inclusive EU roaming offering, ‘Find the beautiful game in beautiful places’ launches with a 40” film which places this summer’s worldwide football tournament at its centre, showcasing how having access to inclusive roaming while abroad helps holidaymakers to create unmissable holiday moments. The film was directed by Miles Jay through production company SMUGGLER in collaboration with VCCP’s global content creation studio Girl&Bear. Soundtracked by Fred Again and Jamie T’s ‘Lights Burn Dimmer’, the film follows two teenage siblings on holiday with their parents, who head out into the sleepy town seeking a place to watch the football. Framed by traditional buildings and an idyllic setting, the film captures the thrill of the unknown as we see them navigate the winding streets with the glow of a phone illuminating their faces – O2 roaming directing them to their destination. As the siblings arrive at a social club filled with locals playing cards, chatting, and the sound of Spanish football commentary, it becomes clear that they have found a true hidden gem. Cutting to an overhead as the first goal is scored, Sean Bean – the voice of O2’s campaigns for 24 years – delivers the final sign-off, reinforcing O2’s position as the only major UK network offering inclusive EU roaming to all its customers.

The campaign sits within O2’s ‘Essential for Living’ platform, which positions O2 as an enabler of life’s greatest moments. By tapping into the cultural experience of coming together to watch the football, O2 visualises how its customers can use its unmatched roaming to find the game across beautiful European destinations – spotlighting why inclusive EU roaming is more essential this summer than ever.

A fully integrated campaign supports the film, including OOH executions that showcase people holidaying in Europe, watching the football on their phones with a headline that reads ‘Find the game here’. Photographed by Tom Cockram and placed in high-footfall locations across the country, the striking billboards feature iconic European holiday scenes – such as a couple on the beach or a man floating on a rubber ring in the sea – that double as the visual ‘O’ motif of the O2 logo.

To bring the campaign promise to life and enable people to find the beautiful game in beautiful places, O2 is offering customers a host of deals to help them level-up their holidays this summer. Whether that’s brushing up on language skills with three months of free Super Duolingo, or finding places to watch the game with 30% discounted Voi e-bikes and scooters, O2 is making sure customers can get the most out of their time abroad.

Rachel Swift, Director of Brand and Advertising at Virgin Media O2, said: “Holidays are no longer about tourist experiences, instead, holidaymakers want to find authentic local culture and hidden gems to explore. As the only major UK network offering all of our customers inclusive EU roaming at no extra cost, we’re providing the ultimate travel essential for spontaneous discovery and adventure. By tapping into the cultural power of the football this summer, this campaign beautifully captures the human thrill of the unknown and brings our ‘Essential for Living’ proposition to life.”

David Masterman, Executive Creative Director at VCCP, said: “O2 is the only major UK network that doesn’t charge their customers extra for EU roaming. This summer, for many travellers, that’s going to mean just one thing; finding the game. Whether it’s finding a football-loving speakeasy, or streaming the match on the beach. We’ve created a proper showcase for how data roaming has evolved from a simple utility into an essential tool.”

The integrated campaign will run across multiple channels including TV, BVOD, AVOD, cinema, outdoor screens, online video, OOH and DOOH sites, including those local to airports, social, radio, partnerships, activation and PR.

The campaign launches today and will run nationwide until 24th July. Media planning and buying was delivered by MG OMD.

Source: VCCP

  Advertising, Campaign, football, Marketing, O2, Soccer, VCCP, Virgin Media O2