Vodafone has launched an emotional festive campaign to celebrate four decades of bringing people together at Christmas.
The ‘40 years of Christmas on the nation’s network’ campaign was devised by creative agency Leo Burnett.
The campaign features a short film, directed by ad studio Smuggler’s Tom Speers, that chronicles technological advances from the 1980s to the modern day, from brick phones to modern smartphones. Changes in communication allowed by the evolving handsets are demonstrated in a series of family interactions.
Leo Burnett UK chief creative officer, Mark Elwood said: “This campaign takes us back in time – from the first brick phones, early text slang, selfies, and video calls – showing that while the tech might have changed (thankfully), the joy of connecting with loved ones at Christmas has stayed wonderfully the same. It’s all about celebrating the moments that really matter, connecting with friends and family.”
According to the telecoms network, the TV spot “draws on Vodafone’s heritage and innovation as the first mobile phone company in the UK”.
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Vodafone has been around since 1984 and both the first-ever mobile phone call – on 1 January 1985 – and the first-ever text message – on 3 December 1992 – which read Merry Christmas, were powered by its network.
The campaign will also feature a social series fronted by TV presenter Roman Kemp and his mother, singer and author Shirlie Kemp. According to the network, the social series will look back at how mobile phones have developed over the past 40 years and feature the two interacting through various challenges, such as texting on a Nokia 3310.
Media planning and buying for the campaign was handled by media agency Carat, and will run across out-of-home, social media channels, YouTube, and radio from 2 December.
Vodafone brand director Maria Koutsoudakis said: “As the nation’s network, we are extremely proud of the pioneering and enduring role we play in connecting the nation. The first text ever sent in the UK was on our network, and it said, ‘Merry Christmas’. The first phone call was on our network, and it was, ‘Hello, Happy New Year.’
“Connecting people at this important time of the year is in the DNA of our brand. This year, we are extremely proud to celebrate those moments of connection that mean so much to everyone at Christmas and how we have helped make these happen for 40 years.
“Our Christmas TV campaign celebrates those beautiful nostalgic moments enabled by our technology, and the technology itself, in a warm, humorous, and moving way. For me, this story epitomizes the critical role we play and will continue to play in the everyday lives of all our consumers, and I hope it triggers a memory in each and every one of us,” she added.
