5G will change the way we live, connect and interact - transforming healthcare, transport, communication and infrastructure, so it’s a shame that UK consumers are yet to fully engage and get excited around its development. Perhaps the issues in captivating and motivating the general public are due to the current promotion of 5G being reliant on technical details, facts and figures. So how to engage customers? Simple - tell the story from customers’ perspective. Ditch the numbers and bring this advancement in technology to life by focusing on what Vodafone really do every day: enable people to communicate.
Welcome to the Future: Powered by Vodafone
The Big Idea
As a TV broadcaster, we’re natural story-tellers – but our challenge was to find the stories that enabled Vodafone to democratise and demystify 5G and position itself as a leader in UK 5G.
Whilst you can’t see or touch 5G, you can witness how humans interact with it and the advantages it brings to their lives. So how best to bring these stories to life?
Our answer was a prime-time Channel 4 ad funded programme that would entertain, educate, and ensure Vodafone was front and centre in the 5G debate.
Making it Happen
We secured a valuable peak 9pm slot on Channel 4 for a three-week run of a 60-minute long advertiser funded show, kicking off February 12th 2020. The integrated title sequence was carefully crafted to ensure Vodafone was eponymous with the production.
We called upon tech cynics in the shape of comedians Jon Richardson and Phil Wang, and broadcaster Alice Levine - who all have concerns about what lies in store for humankind and took them on a journey of technological enlightenment, led gently by the hand of a true optimist for the future, Kevin McCloud.
Through the series, we uncovered Californian 5G robots, lab grown meat and a host of other weird and wonderful tech from China, Japan and America which all showcased the breadth of 5G technology.
The content was entertaining and light hearted, managing to shine a light on some of the biggest issues facing humanity whilst considering how technology and 5G may help to solve those issues, such as driverless cars, avatar robots and remote surgery.
The linear and VoD series was supported by both online and offline channel marketing support, press and publicity. Also a digital and social content campaign utilising Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, featuring edits from the show and additional unseen content created specifically for Vodafone.
The Results
The show was a massive success, in fact it was the highest rating branded entertainment partnership in Channel 4 history reaching a whopping 4 million adults, whilst exceeding the client’s objectives.
Vodafone's own data is a little sensitive so we cannot share externally, however we can tell you the show drove action, intrigue and anticipation, exceeding all pre-set objectives; Purchase consideration, Vodafone and Google searches both up massively after the campaign launched.