England Rugby’s primary partner builds on its ongoing men’s team ‘Wear The Rose’ activation idea with a new campaign backing the women’s ‘Red Roses’ team for August’s WRU Women’s Rugby World Cup.
The new phase of the telco’s ongoing initiative spans TV, video-on-demand, print, OOH, digital and social and is spearheaded by a new spot.
This 40-second hero film, called ‘Love the Game, Wear The Rose’, aims to showcase the Red Roses’ ‘power, passion and commitment’ within the women’s game.
It debuted on O2 Sports social channels on 7 August ahead of the England’s sides first match (in Belfast against Spain) as they start they campaign to retain the trophy they won at the last tournament.
It is also running across both broadcast and programmatic video-on-demand services including Sky, ITV and All 4.
Throughout the whole tournament – which runs from 9 to 26 August throughout Ireland – O2 will encourage fans to pledge their support to England Rugby using #WearTheRose hashtag across with further film work,
Good luck to the Red Roses, It’s time to pledge your support. Love the game, #WearTheRose this summer. pic.twitter.com/ef5xoJQvcV
— O2 Sports (@O2sports) August 9, 2017
as well as print, OOH and other social channels.
The brand will also continue the behind-the-scenes video series strand (which it uses for the men’s team) to enable fans to follow the team throughout the tournament and offer exclusive access and additional content such as player profile features.
#ThrowBackThursday to when we went behind the scenes with the Red Roses. Love the game, #WearTheRose this summer. pic.twitter.com/5YoY3Ca1PV
— O2 Sports (@O2sports) August 10, 2017
"She got up early on Easter Sunday and ate her brother's and sister's Easter eggs."
Time for today's O2 Inside Line #WearTheRose pic.twitter.com/sTjufTtm9g
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) August 10, 2017
From their sporting heroes to pre-match meals. These are some of the Red Roses favourite things. Love the game, #WearTheRose this summer. pic.twitter.com/L7xv3tVOss
— O2 Sports (@O2sports) August 9, 2017
Additional social strands of the initiative will also see O2 activate influencers, ex-players
Keep pledging your support for the Red Roses. Here's @MaggieAlphonsi with a few words of luck. #WearTheRose pic.twitter.com/hZbRaQWrkY
— O2 Sports (@O2sports) August 9, 2017
and its fan network known as the Rose Army to share exclusive content, offers and prizes.
Show your support for the Red Roses. Grab 15% off the new @Englandrugby kit with #O2Priority – https://t.co/iz03EYuCQ1 #WearTheRose pic.twitter.com/DIvU4lfB4p
— O2 Sports (@O2sports) August 9, 2017
While other rugby-related exclusive O2 customer benefits will include access to rugby-themed rewards on O2’s Priority app to add to their viewing experience at home or in the office.
Fans can also turn inspiration into action with free O2 Touch sessions nationwide.
Fancy a new challenge? @O2Touch could be just that. Come and join us – https://t.co/j52I0nhQHJ #WearTheRose pic.twitter.com/UcWaa1alS1
— O2 Sports (@O2sports) August 10, 2017
“’Wear the Rose’ is about galvanising support and getting behind the team every step of the way,” explains O2 head of sponsorship Gareth Griffiths.
“We know that O2 customers and fans love rugby – the women’s game is fast, powerful and full of skill, so we’ve made sure this comes through at every stage of this new campaign.”
Comment:
The Red Roses women’s team branding campaign was initially launched by England Rugby back in late 2016 (see case study), while this O2 women’s tournament initiative is a continuation of the telco’s #WearTheRose activation that has been used with the men’s team since 2014 with an impressive depth and breadth of award winning work including its 2017 RBS 6 Nations campaign (see case study 1, case study 2), as well as its ‘Make Them Giants’ 2015 Rugby World Cup work (see case study 1, case study 2, case study 3, case study 4, case study 5, case study 6, and case study 7), as well as its early 2014 VR work (see case study).
Links:
O2
http://www.o2.co.uk/sponsorship/rugby/wear-the-rose
https://www.youtube.com/user/o2sports
https://www.instagram.com/o2sports/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/116304440606210600730
http://www.theo2.co.uk/do-more-at-the-o2/restaurants-and-bars/detail/o2-blueroom
England Rugby
https://twitter.com/EnglandRugby
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialEnglandRugby/
Women’s Rugby World Cup
