- Vodafone unveils new creative platform ‘The Nation’s Network’ demonstrating its role in connecting the UK to the people and the things it loves this summer.
- Launch campaign will feature British TV broadcaster Roman Kemp as the new face of the Vodafone UK brand.
- ‘The Nation’s Network’ is the first campaign from new creative agency Leo Burnett.
- The fully integrated campaign spanning TV, BVOD, Cinema, OOH, social, PR and display will launch on the 2 June.
Vodafone UK has unveiled its new creative platform, ‘The Nation’s Network’, which brings to life Vodafone’s role in connecting the nation to the people and the things they love.
Vodafone has a long heritage in serving the UK since the very first mobile phone call was made via its network in 1984. Today, 40 years on, it offers 4G coverage to 99% of UK households, is the network of choice for 82% of the country’s emergency services and connects more than 550,000 unique business customers across the UK. It is also the fastest growing and largest provider of full fibre in the UK – with its superfast broadband services now available to nearly 12 million homes.
‘The Nation’s Network’ will be a fully integrated campaign spanning TV, BVOD, Cinema, OOH, social, PR and display, with the creative introducing a variety of scenarios where connectivity and technology play a crucial role in people’s lives.
At the heart of the campaign is a 60-second film that follows a Vodafone-branded ice cream van driven by Roman Kemp, the new face of the brand. The film, which epitomises Britain in the summertime, shows Kemp travelling the UK celebrating the moments and events that make our summer truly unique, whilst illustrating the breadth of Vodafone’s network coverage. It celebrates the windy beach days, friends getting together in pub gardens and the small businesses that power the nation. The film also celebrates the events that Vodafone sponsors and connects customers to, showcasing Glastonbury and Wimbledon as hero partnerships.
Billboards across every major UK city, including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Liverpool, London, Belfast and Newcastle, will sport taglines demonstrating how Vodafone’s services bring people together, including ‘Pin drop like it’s hot’ and ‘Live streaming. Ice creaming’. The creative will also be updated for iconic British events, Glastonbury, and Wimbledon, for which Vodafone is the Official Connectivity Partner.
Maria Koutsoudakis, Brand Director at Vodafone UK added: “Over the past 40 years we have built a network that the nation has come to rely on to keep them connected to the people, businesses and places they care about. We have also built a portfolio of strategic partnerships with some of the most iconic UK brands and events including Glastonbury, the Welsh Rugby Union and Wimbledon, helping the nation connect to these national treasures. Now felt like the perfect time to bring this all together under a new campaign that is warm, relatable and optimistic. And who better to inject some optimism, charisma and fun into the summer than another of our national treasures, Roman Kemp.”
Mark Elwood, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett UK said: “Our proprietary research platform, PopPulse, found that the nation is feeling increasingly disconnected from one another. However, despite their difficulties, people are becoming more hopeful about the future, and that hope starts at home with their families and friends. This insight is at the centre of our creative platform, “The Nation’s Network”. We wanted to illustrate how Vodafone connects and strengthens the bonds that bind us all. The result is work filled with heart, hope, and togetherness. After all, connecting with others is a salve for negativity, and we’re tapping into that this summer.”
The 60” version of the ad will premiere in the Britain’s Got Talent finale on the 2nd June, and will be launched as part of a special ‘ITV Proudly Presents’ ad break.
Credits
- CAMPAIGN TITLE: The Nation’s Network
- CLIENT: Vodafone
- ADVERTISING AGENCY: Leo Burnett UK
- CCO: Mark Elwood
- EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: James Millers and Andrew Long
- CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Rob Tenconi and Mark Franklin
- CREATIVES: Conrad Swanston, Alex Bingham, Alice Pearce
- DESIGNER: Dave Allen, Miriam Menendez, Tomek Drozdowski
- PLANNER: Josh Bullmore, Nicole Frost
- BUSINESS LEAD: Marie-Louise Robinson, Matt René
- ACCOUNT TEAM: Roxanne Courtman, Ellie Glover, Felicity Aniss
- CHIEF PRODUCTION OFFICER: Emily Marr
- AGENCY PRODUCER: Megan O’Hagen
- MEDIA BUYING AGENCY: Carat
- MEDIA PLANNING: Jamie Truscott Howell
- MEDIA STRATEGY: Rupert Beck
- PRODUCTION COMPANY: Rogue
- DIRECTOR: Max Fisher
- EDITOR: James Rosen @ Final Cut
- PRODUCER: Ella Marafina
- POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Black Kite
- AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Factory
About Vodafone
Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were also the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester. As of June 2021, we have 5G in 670 locations across Europe – 318 in the UK and 352 across Germany, Spain, Italy and Ireland. Our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.
Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. To help deliver Gigabit UK, our full-fibre broadband roll-out programme now covers 15 UK towns and cities through partnerships with CityFibre and Openreach.
We believe connectivity is essential, and everyone should have access to the opportunities it provides. We are committed to helping 4 million people and businesses cross the digital divide by 2025 through our everyone.connected campaign which donates SIM cards, devices and digital skills to those who need it.
Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.
About Leo Burnett
Leo Burnett UK is a creative agency that specialises in bringing the power of populist creativity to its clients. The agency brings people together from advertising, digital, social, design and brand activation backgrounds, united by a passion for solving problems and building brands that people love. Clients include McDonald’s, Premier Inn, TUI, Allwyn, Kellogg’s, Comic Relief, Confused.com and Vision Express. Leo Burnett is part of Publicis Groupe.
