EE's Festive Debut: The Christmas Double Unveiled
The mobile network operator EE has unveiled its first holiday campaign, 'The Christmas Double', a bold move to reflect the bustling nature of the festive season. This campaign, developed across various media platforms, aims to showcase EE's role in keeping customers connected during the busiest time of the year.
A Quarter of the Nation's Christmas Double Duties
Research revealed that over a quarter of the UK population (27%) would be juggling hosting and visiting duties this Christmas. This insight inspired the campaign's central theme, emphasizing EE's ability to support customers in their various festive commitments.
A Holistic Approach to Brand Awareness
Kelly Engstrom, Brand and Marketing Communications Director at EE, emphasizes the campaign's focus on storytelling, aiming to connect with customers authentically. The campaign, created through the Publicis One model, involved EE's in-house teams and external partners, including WPP Media, OpenConnect, and OOH specialists Posterscope.
Challenges in the Golden Quarter
The challenge was to stand out in the highly competitive Golden Quarter, a period when brands vie for consumer attention. Engstrom highlights the importance of brand closeness and network consideration, especially during this busy time.
The Main Film: A Day of Double Duties
The main film follows a mother and her children as they navigate a day of hosting and visiting, showcasing EE's WiFi capabilities, from GPS assistance to video calls in the car. The 1989 hit 'Ride on Time' by Black Box plays in the background, adding to the festive atmosphere.
EE's Emotional Connection to Christmas
Saatchi & Saatchi Executive Creative Director Will John emphasizes the emotional connection between EE and Christmas. He believes that EE can become a part of the festive conversation by demonstrating its support for online shopping, delivery tracking, and streaming Christmas favorites.
A Holistic Marketing Approach
The marketing team adopted a holistic approach, collaborating with agency partners like Publicis Groupe (Saatchi & Saatchi and Digitas) and WPP Media. This allowed them to consider the entire marketing funnel, addressing different audiences and channels with tailored communication strategies.
Real-Time Data and AI Integration
Engstrom highlights the benefits of working with WPP Media's new model, which provides more live data. AI learning enables the team to react and adapt quickly, ensuring efficient and effective campaign execution.
Ubiquitous Media Presence
The campaign utilizes various social media platforms, including Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and Pinterest, to engage audiences across different hosting and guesting scenarios. It also leverages the attention of podcast listeners during relaxation time, featuring influential hosts like Romesh Ranganathan and Graham Norton.
Partnerships and Contextual Messaging
Partnerships with Bauer shows and Samsung allow EE to offer Christmas giveaways, creating a sense of 'extra special' for customers. Contextual messaging is distributed through in-car audio and connected devices, becoming an integral part of the festive experience.
A Strategic Audio Immersion
Anna Martorana, Head of Strategy and Planning at WPP Media, emphasizes the strategic use of audio to immerse EE in festive conversations. She notes the significant seasonal uplift in audio consumption, making it an effective medium to cut through the Christmas chaos.
A Multi-Platform Approach
Martorana highlights the importance of understanding the audience's diverse platforms and moments of Christmas cheer. The campaign aims to be everywhere the audience is, ensuring a highly contextual and relevant experience.
EE's Future Strategies
Engstrom acknowledges the campaign's success but remains non-committal about repeating it next year. The strategy focuses on 'moments that matter' where EE can play a significant role, emphasizing the brand's unique gift to the nation during this special time of the year.
