The mobile phone network swaps festive schmaltz for social purpose in a practical push to address data poverty.
Every year, there are a bunch of Christmas ads that highlight a brand’s work for charity and pull on your heartstrings via characters who aren’t in a position to fully enjoy the festival season. Typically, that’s because they either can’t afford presents or are socially excluded from the party.
Increasingly, though, social exclusion is happening more subtly for people who can’t afford data on their phones. Even those of us with a healthy income will know how it feels to have no access to the mobile internet because you’ve hit a signal blackspot or your network is down. So it’s not difficult to imagine how that would feel 24/7.
Some might say, to paraphrase Marie Antoinette, “Then let them eat Wi-Fi!” But it’s not as simple as that. Not everyone has Wi-Fi at home, and while it’s often available at pubs and cafes, it’s not always very reliable; plus, of course, there’s a cost involved there, too.
So, it’s heartening to see that O2’s Christmas campaign for 2024 is firmly focused on addressing data poverty through the National Databank initiative.
The initiative
The National Databank is an initiative started by Virgin Media O2 in 2021 in partnership with Good Things Foundation, a digital inclusion charity. The scheme, which is like a food bank for communications, provides free mobile data, texts, and calls to anyone struggling to afford them. People in need can visit O2 stores to access this free support with no questions asked.
The initiative aims to help some of the two million UK households where people can’t afford sufficient mobile data to carry out essential everyday tasks such as booking appointments, completing homework or staying in touch with loved ones.
The ad
VCCP created the integrated campaign, which launches with an emotionally charged ad portraying authentic scenarios of Britons struggling without mobile data access.
Drawing from real-life cases, the film features vignettes including a kitchen worker unable to complete his studies and a father-daughter duo who can’t stream content during their coach journey. A touch of magic is added to these scenes through a metaphorical visual of “SIM card snowflakes” descending to connect the disconnected.
The 60-second spot, soundtracked by Ingrid Michaelson’s Snowfall, was directed by Stefanie Soho through Smuggler. The Mill handled VFX.
In a thoughtful technical innovation, VCCP’s digital experience agency, Bernadette, has developed a zero-rated campaign landing page that doesn’t consume data allowance, ensuring accessibility for the very audience the campaign aims to reach.
The campaign is O2’s third consecutive Christmas focusing on the National Databank, following previous campaigns Bubl Army and Snowgran. Running until 31st December, the integrated campaign spans cinema, TV, VOD, online, OOH, social, radio and retail, with media handled by MG OMD.
“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,” says Simon Valcarcel, marketing director at Virgin Media O2. “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.”
“It’s easy to take for granted, but data is an essential utility,” adds David Masterman, deputy executive creative director at VCCP. “It’s necessary to book doctor’s appointments, for kids to do homework, and for 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, which was also the focal point in previous ads, Bubl Army and Snowgran.
