vodafone

client objective

Vodafone had just been awarded Best 5G in London by an independent survey, and wanted an innovative way to publicise their accolade and emphasise their connective supremacy to audiences across the capital. These were challenging times, as lockdown had reduced footfall in the capital. The brief needed ingenuity, so we set about looking for an idea that really broke the mould… and then two came along at once! 

the big idea

Vodafone wanted to dramatise the benefits of its 5G product – reliability, speed and increased connectivity. With the award in mind, the London transport network offered major publicity to broad audience. Vodafone’s distinctive red branding plastered across Global’s diverse range of formats meant that Vodafone would be a striking and ubiquitous visual presence around the city. But how could we make the most of our iconic landmark sites and position Vodafone as number 1 for connectivity?  For the first time, we created a mobile digital roadblock, synching up large format digital sites with approaching Routemaster bus wraps so Londoners saw red at every turn. 

making it happen

Bus Sync, our innovative new Digital Roadblock, enabled moving  Vodafone-branded Routemasters to trigger digital outdoor screens as they passed. This never been done before; high-impact dual exposure was inescapable for Londoners. 

TfL’s GPS data told us exactly how far the buses were from the chosen outdoor sites, and when two minutes away, we triggered the Vodafone ads on screen. Our digital outdoor screens were mapped along the Vodafone-wrapped bus route; amplifying Vodafone’s message and setting their outdoor offering apart from competitors. The Routemaster buses passed through London’s most iconic areas, including Piccadilly Circus, for maximum publicity.

The campaign ran on 80 screens and five wrapped buses throughout the capital. Vodafone dynamically dominated a 100% share of voice within 200 square metres of the screen for a lengthy three minutes. So at 80 individual locations, a blistering red Vodafone-wrapped bus and large format digital outdoor screen dominated Londoners eyelines, conveying Vodafone’s 5G credentials in real time. 

results

The campaign made a connection with its intended audience and those who saw the Bus Sync were left in little doubt as to who had the best 5G in the capital. As part of a sizeable campaign, the Bus Sync was top-of-mind among high exposed respondents, with 7 out of 10 people able to recall seeing one of the various outdoor adverts, making it a highly memorable campaign.  

Vodafone saw huge uplifts in people who had seen the campaign, agreeing that Vodafone is an innovative brand and at the forefront of technology. 

The industry recognised it too. Vodafone’s wider ‘Getting Londoners to see Red’ campaign with Carat, which encompassed our Bus Sync campaign, won the ‘Corporate & Utilities’ category at the Campaign Media Awards 2021. 

Date Sep/Oct 2020 

Sources: Differentology research and Global Data