Ad of the Week: O2's Wear the Rose

As England prepares to host the Rugby World Cup, O2 have launched their first animated campaign, #weartherose.  Nina Bibby, O2's marketing and consumer director, describes it as "the culmination of a twenty year partnership with England Rugby". VCCP, the agency behind the ad, were briefed by England's coach, Stuart Lancaster, to produce a campaign  that would encourage the whole country to get behind the team.

Rugby is by no means a niche sport, but nor is it a mainstream one. This was the challenge for Charles Vallance, the founder and chairman of VCCP, how do they make an ad that would appeal to those "outside of the fanbase"? 

I guess with a little imagination. Everyone can resonate with the magic of animation and its use here makes the ad inclusive. Children, adults, fans, and non-fans alike can connect with the spot. Nina Bibby sees this as less of a campaign and more of a "movement". Both VCCP and Bibby wanted to engage the whole of the english population and intended it to be reciprocal, two-way campaign. The use of animation means they can react to what is happening during the tournament in real-time. They can adapt the creative and get it on their social channels without having to rely on footage of the real players. 

The TV spot debuted on 11 September during an episode of Channel 4’s Gogglebox. It will be supported by digital, print and outdoor executions.

Take a look at it below.