EE celebrates connection in first ever Christmas campaign

EE, the UK’s best network, has today launched its first Christmas campaign, Hosting & Guesting. Created by Publicis Groupe UK’s cross agency team, the fully integrated campaign explores being a host and a guest at Christmas.

Reflecting the reality of families juggling multiple Christmases in one day, new research* from EE reveals how the nation plans to celebrate this year with more than half (54%) of Brits hosting a Christmas celebration, 47% guesting at someone else’s, and nearly one in three (27%) ‘doing the double’. The campaign shows how EE, the UK’s best network, helps it all run a little smoother - keeping customers seamlessly connected wherever they are this Christmas. 

Staying true to the canon of Publicis Groupe UK’s creative work with EE, the campaign uses a classic soundtrack - the 1989 house hit, Ride on Time by Black Box - a timestamped opening to the film and celebrates real life scenarios grounded in authenticity. 

In the 105 second film, The Christmas Double, we follow a mum with two children, attempting the impossible - visiting both sides of the family in one day. Juggling dessert and kids, she heads to their first stop, nana’s house. Inside, festive chaos reigns. EE’s WiFi powers games, tv and music while the doorbell signals more arrivals. Amid it all, the little boy follows nana, practicing a series of secret hand gestures.

Before they know it, the family are back on the motorway. As they brave the roads, the mum uses EE’s mobile network to locate the house using maps on her Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, while the young boy video calls his Nana in the back seat. On their arrival, the door swings open to a warm welcome and we watch the little boy step forward and sign ‘Merry Christmas’ to the young girl who is hard of hearing - a story crafted with care in collaboration with a deaf BSL consultant and advisor to ensure authentic representation. The mum smiles as she suddenly realises what her son has been secretly planning with his nana. 

The film will launch with a 30-second spot tonight (Wednesday 12th November) followed by a 60-second edit on Friday 14th November during Coronation Street (ITV) and the Big Brother Final (ITV2). The 60-second film is supported by two 30” spots as well as cinema, radio, OLV, OOH, DOOH and social.

DOOH and OOH creative showcase two Christmas Days - one hosting, one guesting, in a split screen format with contextual audio tailored to different environments and travel periods, aligning with people’s festive journeys.

The imagery captures the moments two worlds meet at a doorway, while full motion DOOH appearing during key festive moments such as final journeys home or last minute shopping, follows characters seamlessly moving between hosting and guesting. Each scene introduces new settings, and faces, keeping the main character centred for smooth connected shifts. Custom festive billboards across London, Birmingham and Manchester bring the campaign to life. All media has been strategically planned by EE’s bespoke WPP team, OpenConnect, and OOH specialists Posterscope with consideration to people's festive journeys and key sales moments in the run up to Christmas.

Extending the story beyond the film, EE has partnered with Samsung UK to celebrate its customers this Christmas through a competition hosted by chef and broadcaster Andi Oliver. Developed by Digitas UK, the activation rewards EE’s loyal customer base with the chance to win Samsung tech for in and around the home, from Galaxy smartphones and tablets to laptops, TVs and watches, ensuring every celebration whether hosting or guesting, stays connected. The initiative reinforces EE’s commitment to giving more back to existing customers at the time of year when connection matters most.

Sitting across Meta, Tiktok, YouTube, Reddit and Pinterest, the social will follow the same transition between two worlds and the duties of hosting and guesting and gifting using 30-second spots, capturing the duality of consumers’ lives and connectivity needs at Christmas.

Kelly Engstrom, Brand and Marketing Communications Director at EE commented: “We’re really proud to share our first Christmas campaign. As the UK’s best network, we pride ourselves on offering the best mobile and broadband connection for our customers, something we know is particularly important during the busy festive season. 

Our new campaign shows how EE does more to keep everyone connected across the Christmas period; whether hosting friends and family, or travelling the country to visit loved ones, the speed, reliability and power of EE’s mobile network and broadband technology mean our customers can make the most of the magical festive chaos”.

Ben Mooge, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe UK, said “At Christmas, connection matters more than ever, and EE is the network families can rely on. Reflecting the reality of families juggling multiple Christmases in one day, we wanted the brand recognition we’ve built through our work this year to come through clearly in our first Christmas spot – making sure it feels unmistakably EE. It’s a fully integrated campaign built around the idea of hosting and guesting, and a major moment in our journey with the brand.”

The fully integrated campaign runs through the Black Friday and Christmas sales period, spanning AV, OOH, DOOH, Audio, Social, Online Video, VOD, Cinema, Customer Activation and Retail, and has been creatively crafted by a cross-agency team from Publicis Groupe, with paid media strategically planned and bought by OpenConnect at WPP Media and OOH agency, Posterscope. 

Rebecca Marshall, Client President of OpenConnect at WPP Media, commented: “Christmas is a busy time with multiple phases in the lead up to the big day. Our meticulous planning was rooted in understanding and tapping into real-life behaviours to show EE's seamless connection at the heart of every festive journey, whether hosting or guesting.”

EE is the UK’s best network, offering superfast mobile and broadband connection to millions across the UK. This means that whether hosting friends and family this Christmas, or guesting and travelling the length of the country to visit loved ones, EE will keep you connected.

Credits

Client: EE

CEO: Claire Gillies

Brand Director: Cilesta Van Doorn

Brand and Marketing Communications Director: Kelly Engstrom

Head of Brand Advertising: Jules Wilkin

Campaign Brand Manager: Niamh O’Connor

Campaign Brand Manager: Kathryn Enright

Media Manager: Laura Stone

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi

CEO: Claire Hollands

CCO Publicis Groupe UK: Ben Mooge

Managing Director: Jonathan Tapper

ECD: Will John

Creative Director: Nick Bygraves

Senior Creatives: Samuel Simmonds & George Coyle

Creatives: Will Griffin & Will Blackburn

CPO: Jess Ringshall

Head of Production: Rachel Solomon

Executive Producer:Rose Reynolds

Associate Executive Producer: Rosie Nolan

Integrated Producer: Izzy Woods

Production Assistant: Mickalah Aldridge

Production Assistant: Abdul Onipede

Head of Planning: Will Moore

Senior Strategist: Catherine Gaunt

Managing Partner: Eilidh McGregor

Business Lead: Kate Woodruff

Account Director: Dyfed Thomas

Account Director: Lupien Troelstra

Senior Project Manager: Evie Ungemuth

Head of Business Affairs: Charlotte Fisher

Business Affairs Manager: Dan McPhilimey

Business Affairs Manager: Liz Staley

Digital agency: Digitas

Carren O’Keefe: Chief Creative Officer

Ben Clapp: Creative Director

Stephanie Hill: Senior Account Director

Sean McKenna: Business Director

Jessica Brennan: Business Partner

Sophie Baldwin: Account Director

Leslie Boateng: Senior Account Manager

Cat Penn: Project Manager

Laura Lopez: Senior Project Manager

David Hofmeyr: Strategy Director

Charlotte Coutinho: Senior Strategist

Reilly Lovett: Art Director

Eboni Lamine: Copy Writer

Jason Michael: Experience Director

Tom Palmer: Experience Lead

Amandine Fabian: Creative Director

Julian Greene: Senior Project Manager

Sarah Goodman: Visual Designer

Media Agency: WPP Media

Client President: Rebecca Marshall

Chief Strategy Officer: David Wilding 

Head of Planning & Strategy Open Connect: Anna Martorana

Client Vice President: Matthew Russell  

Client Director: Tessa Pettit 

Media Planning Business Director: Dima Marottii 

Media Planning Senior Account Executive: Megan Leader

OOH Agency: Posterscope

OOH Partner: Dan Bayford

OOH Planning & Buying Director: Tom Murrihy

OOH Planning & Buying Senior Executive: Rowan Gillette-Fussell

Production Company

AV: Magna Studios

MANAGING DIRECTOR | EXECUTIVE PRODUCER JAMES SORTON

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER JOEL SPENCER 

HEAD OF PRODUCTION ALISTAIR PAYNE-JAMES 

DIRECTOR PHOEBE ARNSTEIN

PRODUCER NEIL ANDREWS

PRODUCTION MANAGER ANOUSHKA ABEL

SERVICE PRODUCTION THE PRODUCTION FACTORY, MANCHESTER

SERVICE PRODUCER EILEEN GARTSIDE

SERVICE PRODUCTION MANAGER BEN ROSS

1ST AD  JULIAN RICHARDS 

DOP RINA YANG

GRIP DAVE LEIGH

GAFFER PAUL JOY

SOUND RECORDIST PAUL LORD

PRODUCTION DESIGNER KAVE QUINN 

ART DIRECTOR MAX MERONTI

COSTUME DESIGNER REBECCA RICH

H/MU LOUISE MEADOWS

DEAF BSL CONSULTANT & CREATIVE ADVISOR SEAN CHANDLER

ADDITIONAL DEAF BSL CONSULTANT RADHA STARR

BSL INTERPRETER KAT WRIGHT

CASTING DIRECTORS KHARMEL COCHRANE & NICCI TOPPING

2ND UNIT DIRECTOR LIBBY BURKE-WILD

2ND UNIT 1ST AD SARAH JANE-JONES

2ND UNIT DOP SPIKE MORRIS 

DOOH & Social: Magna Studios

Director: Uncanny

Executive Producer: Joel Spencer

Producer: Ben Burdock

Service Producer:  Louise Tench

Service Production Manager: Callum Crozier 

Service Production Coordinator: Dominique Odain-Hamilton

Location Manager: Marc Price

1st AD: Ben Eve

DOP: Elliot Holbrow 

Gaffer: Paul Joy

Grip: Dan Shaw

Sound Recordist: James Jones

Art Director: Max Meronti & Lisa Samuels

Wardrobe Stylist: Nicky Goldsmith

Hair & Make Up Artist: Louise McCann

Edit

Edit House: MARSHEEN

EDITOR DAVE DAVIS

EDIT PRODUCER HARRIET CAWLEY

EDIT ASSISTANT OTIS TREE

DOOH & Social: Medusa Video

Editor: Deri Watt

Post & Colour

AV: Time Based Arts

Post Production: Time Based Arts

VFX Supervisor: Leo Weston

2D Artists: Stephen Grasso, Andre Dias, Danny Peoples, Frankie Foster, Jasmine Cooper, Lucy Lawrence, Manolo Perez, Simon Melin

CG Artists: Olivier Lémery

Colourist: Ruth Wardell

Colour Assists: Tom Matthews and Aiden Tobin

VFX Producer: Mia Saunders

DOOH & Social: ELMNTL

VFX EP: Ali Patrick

2D Lead : Mark Chapman 

Colourist : Felipe Szulc

Music: Wake The Town

Music Supervisor: Maiken Silverup

Sound

AV: Factory

Sound Design and Mix - James Utting and Anthony Moore

Audio Producer - Deborah Whitfield 

DOOH & Social: Runamok

Sound Design: Harry Butcher

STILLS

Production Company: Magna Studios & Academy

Photographer - Peter Funch

Executive Producer: Joel Spencer

Producer - Kishan Patel & Ben Burdock

Head of Photography - Charlotte Long

1st Assistant - Guy Isherwood

Digi Op - Will Sutton

Photography Assistant - Filippa Zachariassen

Service Producer: Louise Tench

Service Production Manager: Callum Crozier 

Service Production Coordinator: Dominique Odain-Hamilton

Location Manager: Marc Price

1st AD: Ben Plummer

Art Director: Max Meronti & Lisa Samuels

Wardrobe Stylist: Nicky Goldsmith

Hair & Make Up Artist: Louise McCann

Retouch: INK Studio

Digital: @inkretouch

Print: INK

Design & Artwork: Prodigious

Design Director: Simon Hadassi

Senior Designer: Anna Hahto

Senior Designer: James Goodwin-Davies

Lead Motion Designer: Marco Balducci

Motion Designer: Mark Chivers

Senior Creative Artworker - Dean Vuckovic

Senior Creative Artworker - Steve Hopkins

Senior Creative Artworker - Darren Rolfe

Senior Project Manager - Adie Reilly