LONDON, UK – O2 has unveiled the latest installment of its Essential for Living brand platform with a new campaign, Near or Far., created by long-time creative partner VCCP. The work champions the role O2’s award-winning network plays in people’s lives, spotlighting its category leading coverage and its continued investment in infrastructure.
At the heart of the campaign is a cinematic 40-second film directed by Frédéric Planchon of Academy Films, in collaboration with VCCP’s global content creation studio, Girl&Bear. The narrative captures a touching exchange between a daughter and her father, set against the backdrop of the Welsh countryside. The daughter calls to share the life changing news that she has landed her dream job as a teacher. Despite the father being in an extremely remote location, O2’s reliable network ensures the moment of connection is shared seamlessly. With Jamie xx’s Obvs providing the soundtrack, the film underscores O2’s belief that connectivity is not just functional, but essential to the moments that matter most. The spot closes with the campaign line: “Near or far, our network is with you.”
Extending beyond the film, the campaign demonstrates O2’s omnipresent coverage through a nationwide out-of-home rollout, appearing not only in urban hubs but also in rural and unexpected locations where O2’s network remains strong. This integrated approach spans television, video on demand, outdoor, social media, radio, and PR. Production was handled by Girl&Bear and digital experience agency Bernadette, with MG OMD managing media planning and buying.
Simon Valcarcel, Marketing Director at Virgin Media O2, added “Connection is fundamental to everyday life andenabling connection sits at the heart of O2. Whether it’s sharing exciting news with loved ones, downloading tickets to a gig or exploring new places, our network enables it all and ‘Near or Far.’ puts our network back at the forefront of the brand, acting as a reminder that O2 is there for you, in the big moments and the everyday ones.”
David Masterman, Executive Creative Director at VCCP, said, “Twenty-three years ago, we launched O2 with a powerful idea – that O2 is digital oxygen. Essential, invisible, always there. This campaign brings that founding thought into a new era, reminding the nation that near or far, O2 is with you.”
The launch comes on the heels of O2’s significant investment in its Mobile Transformation Plan, pledging £2 million per day, equivalent to £700 million this year towards improving network reliability, speed, and coverage.
With Near or Far., O2 and VCCP reaffirm the telco’s founding proposition: that connection, like oxygen, is essential to life.
CAMPAIGN CREDITS:
Client: O2
Director of Brand & Marketing: Rachel Swift
Marketing Director: Simon Valcarcel
Head of Campaigns: Johnny Winn
Senior Campaign Managers: Ben Jobson & Ella Hassall
Advertising Agency: VCCP
Chief Creative Officers: Jonathan Parker & Chris Birch
Executive Creative Director: David Masterman
Art Director & Copywriter: Tom Dyson & Lance Boreham
Agency TV Producer: Maddy Holmes
Managing Partner: Olivia Packshaw
Business Director: Alistair Nichols
Account Director: Charlotte Allcock
Account Manager: Aaron Kelly
Chief Strategy Officer: Clare Hutchinson
Planning Director: Lotte Jones
Junior Planner: Albie Redding
Hero Film
Production Company: Academy Films
Director: Frédéric Planchon
Executive Producer: Georgina Smith
Producer: Jen Gelin
Production Manager: Natalie Isaac
Production Coordinator: Sorcha Anglim
Production Assistant: Dara Phillips
Director of Photography: Stéphane Fontaine
1st AD: Robert Thorpe
Edit: Assembly Rooms
Editor: Nik Hindson
Edit Producer: Phoebe Armstrong-Beaver
Post-Production Company: Time Based Arts
VFX Shoot Supervisor: Stephen Grasso
2D VFX Lead: Sheldon Gardner
3D VFX Lead: Ian Baird
Colourist: Ruth Wardell
Post Producer: Chris Aliano
Audio Post-Production: Jungle Studios
Sound Design & Mix: Ben Leeves
Audio Producer: Ciara Holmes
Music Supervision: Twelve Decibels
Music Supervisor: Matt Lee
Integrated Campaign
Post Production: Girl&Bear
Agency Creative Producer: Yusuf Mountstephen
Digital Creative Producer: Ben Fish
Post Producer: Leanne Tole
Broadcast Affairs Manager: Katie Singer
Bernadette
Digital Motion Designers: Martina Nedvídková, Matous Sedlak
Digital Interactive Designer: Mykyta (Nik) Karpov
Digital Design Director: Gilles Bestley
Digital Creative Director: Will Aslett
Digital Creative Director & Head of Motion & 3D: Jon Bancroft
Media Buying Agency: Manning Gottlieb OMD
Business Director: Hollie Hambilton
Planning Director: Will Maclure
Strategy Director: Gareth White
Account Director: Anneka Williams
Digital Account Director: Miranda Roberts
