VCCP campaign for O2 invites customers to switch up their phones

Integrated campaign shows the world through the eyes of Bubl, the O2 robot

By Creative Salon

26 August 2022

O2 has launched ‘Switch-up-to-new when it suits you’ a new integrated campaign, together with agency of record VCCP London, to celebrate O2 giving its customers more freedom to flex their plan and swap their phone at any point in their contract, as many times as they’d like.

O2 Switch Up will automatically be included in Plus Plans at no extra cost, offering customers a completely non-restrictive contract and even more flexibility to swap their mobile to suit their needs.

The campaign leads with a 30” spot which enlists the help of O2’s friendly blue Robot, Bubl, as it wanders through a busy park on the hunt for a current O2 customer who is ready to ‘Switch Up’ their mobile phone. Treating viewers for the first time ever to the world through Bubl’s eyes, the film sees Bubl hone in on a prospective customer, as a precision lens appears, allowing Bubl to track down its target through ‘Bubl vision.’ Determined to complete its mission, Bubl sprints and leaps like an undercover agent as it makes its journey through the park, before opening its tummy cupboard, allowing the O2 customer to hand over her phone, swapping it for a new phone.

Havas Media UK, part of Havas Media Group UK, is handling media planning and buying with the strategy of the campaign building on the growth in consideration created by Roam Freely campaign. Alongside TV, ‘O2 Switch Up’ pivots media strategy to focus on high dwell entertainment spaces including VOD, Cinema, OLV, social, OOH, radio, Twitch and across partnerships. Supporting campaign assets showcase Bubl brandishing its ‘Switch Up’ tummy cupboard, demonstrating how easy it is for O2 customers to swap their devices, revealing the hero campaign strapline ‘Switch-up-to-new when it suits you’

Simon Valcarcel, Marketing Director at Virgin Media O2 said: “We’ve always been customer led. Now we’re giving our customers even more freedom and flexibility so that they’re in control. O2 Switch Up gives our customers the power to decide what phone they have and when they have it, all on their terms and with the peace of mind that their previous phone won’t go to waste. With a whole host of exciting new phones set to be released in the coming months we can’t wait to see our customers start switching and getting the most from their new handsets.”

Laura Muse, Creative Director at VCCP London added: “Life changes at an insane rate these days, so being free to find a phone that suits you is brilliant. O2 are really looking out for everyone. And there’s no better way to show that than seeing the world through our clever and lovable Bubl’s eyes.”

The new ‘Switch Up’ proposition from O2 gives its customers greater flexibility and control over their device. Once customers have O2 Switch Up as part of their Plus Plan, they can use it to switch to a new phone whenever they want to, whether it be the latest flagship launch or one of O2’s ‘Like New’ phones, the choice is entirely theirs. With no limits to how long customers need to have had their current phone or how long is left on their existing contract, switching devices has never been easier. Alternatively, customers can add O2 Switch Up to a new Custom Plan as a Bolt On for just £3.99 a month to enjoy complete freedom to keep up with the latest devices.

Through O2 Switch Up, the phone being swapped will be checked to ensure it meets the required condition criteria and a new handset and Plus Plan or Custom Plan will be activated to complete the switch, with no need for customers to pay off the remainder of their previous plan. The handset that is traded in will be refurbished and resold as a ‘Like New’ device for somebody else to enjoy, helping to avoid e-waste and increase O2’s ‘Like New’ offering. To date, O2 has refurbished and reused over 3.5m devices through O2 Recycle, helping to extend the life cycle of devices for customers looking to buy second hand.

The integrated ‘Switch-up-to-new when it suits you’ campaign by O2 is live from today until the end of October and O2 worked with UK agency of record, VCCP London, content studio Girl&Bear, and VCCP’s newly launched Product and Service innovation company, Bernadette, to mastermind the new campaign. PR is supported by Hope&Glory. Media has been planned and handled by Havas Media UK.