O2 couples up with ITV2’s Love Island as official sponsor

VCCP-created campaign sees O2’s blue robot Bubl unveiled as this year’s Love Island insider, providing exclusive backstage access to Islander content

By creative salon

26 May 2022

O2 has today announced it is the official network sponsor for ITV’s hit show Love Island. The sponsorship builds on O2’s recent campaign ‘Roam Freely’, as the award-winning network seeks to remind Love Island fans that O2 is now the only major network that does not charge its customers to roam in Europe up to 25GB.

Launching today, the new O2 integrated campaign sees friendly and loveable brand mascot Bubl become a Love Island insider, providing exclusive backstage access to the Islanders at key moments and serving up sizzling content, prizes and perks with Priority for O2 customers and Love Island fans to enjoy.

O2 worked with UK agency of record, VCCP London, Product and Service innovation company, Bernadette, and global content studio, Girl&Bear, to mastermind the new creative campaign.

Havas Media Group UK, with support from Havas Entertainment JUMP, tabled and brokered the far-reaching licensing deal with ITV and wider media strategy to kick off O2’s Roam Freely Summer by ensuring O2 is present around key moments most relevant to younger audiences.

The fully integrated campaign launches with a 10’’ TV ad and social media launch content which will go live across O2 social channels. These will be followed by the creative rolling out on BVOD and Display alongside exclusive content on Love Island’s website and app, promotional materials in O2 stores and merchandise. O2 will run exclusive Priority offers for members to enjoy this summer, as well as giving them the chance to win tickets to Love Island Aftersun and The Finale.

As part of the licensing deal, O2 will have access to bespoke Islander content and assets, including content that will be shot during isolation, exclusive access to exit interviews once Islanders leave the villa and access to the winning Love Island couple. This content will be showcased on Love Island’s social channels, website hub and app, and further amplified by O2 on social. All of this will help drive O2’s constant presence around the show, with a clear focus on reminding Love Island fans that they can roam freely in the EU, on O2.

O2 will work with platform partners to ensure a deeply agile and reactive approach around the show. With Twitter, they will develop bespoke formats to notify fans of exclusive news and giveaways. On TikTok, there will be multiple ad takeovers at key moments of the show, and interactive elements such as ‘super likes’ and voting stickers. Fans will have the chance to get further involved in the show every week through Instagram Stories where viewers will be able to share content of Bubl reacting to key moments around the show such as the Casa Amor. O2 will also partner with creators to comment on the show, alongside existing Love Island meme accounts to create and share exclusive content. The entire approach is designed to react to the show’s key moments as quickly and effectively as possible, giving Love Island fans extra ways to stay entertained.

Simon Groves, Director of Brand and Marketing, Virgin Media O2 said: “We know from our own research[1] that travel to Europe is returning to pre-pandemic levels and with Love Island back in living rooms across the country, we’re excited our partnership will enable fans to feel even more connected to their favourite show. From Malta to Mallorca, and all across Europe, our customers can keep connected without the hassle of hidden charges, as O2 is the only major network where you can roam freely in the EU. We know that millions of our customers are huge fans of the show, and with this in mind we're excited to not only enhance their experience of the show with our very own Islander Bubl, but also enhance their travel to Europe."

Kimberley Gill, Creative Director, VCCP London added: “Every summer Love Island captivates the nation and to say we’re excited by this new campaign is an understatement! There is no bigger cultural moment to be part of that perfectly embodies O2’s Roam Freely message. We can’t wait to introduce loyal fans to the newest Islander, Bubl as our fun campaign takes over our telly!”

Kathryn Harding, Planning Partner, Havas Media Group UK, said: “Love Island is giving us supreme access and smart presence for O2 to build Roaming associations with ITV and social channels’ most talked about show. We know that there is no better or more relevant time to have partnered with Love Island and drive attention for O2’s Roaming message, not least as travel choices and excitement returns for so many. Love Island lives effortlessly across TV and social, and each channel needs the other, which makes it a rare opportunity to be truly part of cultural conversation. In all, it’s the perfect media pairing for O2 to kickstart momentum and awareness of a Roam Freely Summer.”

The integrated campaign by O2 is live from today and will run until the end of the series in August across TV, BVOD, Display and Social – including high engagement channels Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter. Brand strategy and the creative has been handled by VCCP London. Production will be handled by Product and Service innovation company, Bernadette, and global content studio Girl&Bear. Media planning and buying will be handled by Havas Media UK, with support for the partnership from Havas Entertainment JUMP, both part of Havas Media Group. A consumer PR campaign is being run by Hope&Glory.

CREDITS

CAMPAIGN TITLE: O2 x Love Island

CLIENT: O2

ADVERTISING AGENCY: VCCP

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Kimberley Gill

HEAD OF SOCIAL & INFLUENCE: Nicky Palamarczuk

CREATIVES: Aly Golani, Emma Jackson

SOCIAL CREATIVES: Caroline Denby, Geneva Stanton

SOCIAL & INFLUENCE MANAGER: Beatrice Mustocea

HEAD OF O2: Katya Obolensky

HEAD OF SOCIAL & INNOVATION: Alex Dalman

SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Allana Isaacs