The latest phase of O2’s expansive #WearTheRose campaign leveraging its England Rugby rights prior to the Rugby World Cup sees the telco hang 50,000 England rugby shirts on washing lines all over the country (including in Bath, Manchester, Newcastle and Leicester)
Giant washing lines hung at the rugby union average line-out height of three metres were erected in prominent public places across the country.
To claim the kit, fans simply needed to climb on a friend’s shoulders and grab one.
The sponsorship activation strand initially kicked-off with a PR launch in central London’s Potters Field (beside Tower Bridge) at a launch event attended by three current England players and was also amplified across its social platforms.
This mass shirt giveaway both gives the public a chance to win an England rugby shirt and continues to build support for the host team ahead of the RWC2015.
O2 customers can also use the telco’s Priority service and by entering a prize draw by posting a message of support for England using the #WearTheRose hashtag.
Comment
This simple, nationwide stunt ensures striking PR picture coverage, social sharing and public goodwill as it continues O2’s impressively integrated #WearTheRose work.
This accessible and national approach also dovetails with the umbrella RWC 2015 startegy of using the tournament to push rugby beyond its core audience and reach the mass consumer market.
‘The fact that we have a host nation tournament in this country is a once in a generation opportunity,’ claims O2’s sports sponsorship boss Gareth Griffiths.
‘We have a long standing relationship with England Rugby so we have a big responsibility. We feel it’s our job as a brand with the scale that we have to galvanise the country behind the England Rugby team.’
Quite how original the consumer teamwork aspect of the idea is is open to question.
After all, this concept of fans working with one another to reach up and grab shirts hung just out of reach was previously used by Adidas in 2013 to launch the British & Irish Lions kit (see case study).
Links
O2 Sport YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/o2sports
O2 Sports Twitter:
@O2Sports
#WearTheRose
O2 Sports Instagram:
https://instagram.com/o2sports/
O2 Sports Google+:
https://plus.google.com/116304440606210600730/videos
O2 Priority Sports Website:
http://www.o2priority.co.uk/sports
England Rugby Website:
RFU Website:
