O2’s Little Blue Robot Bubl Shares Weird and Wonderful Holiday Moments in ‘Share My Clogs'

O2 has today launched ‘Share my Clogs', a new integrated campaign designed to remind customers how they can holiday this summer without the hassle of European roaming costs. Unlike all other major networks, customers of O2’s award-winning network will maintain inclusive roaming while in the EU, using data, calls and texts just as they would in the UK up to 25GB. 

Signifying a new playful creative direction, the energetic campaign taps into the magic of holidaying with an unexpected twist as a pair of clogs become the icon for O2’s promise of infinite holiday sharing whilst abroad. Building on the ‘Roam Freely’ campaign launched earlier this year which saw Bubl jetset across Europe and O2’s sponsorship of ITV’s Love Island, the creative echoes the sentiment of the nation as consumers embrace travel abroad this summer. 

The campaign leads with a 40-second spot which will premiere on Celebrity Gogglebox and celebrates the magic of worry-free wanderlust with the help of Bubl who shows just how easy it is to go abroad and keep loved ones updated with the latest travel content. The film opens with a scene of serenity as Sean Bean announces to viewers; ‘did you know you can still Roam Freely in the EU with O2?’  He is then interrupted by an O2 customer, voiced by Robert Webb who demonstrates exactly how much holiday content he’s able to share whilst abroad - from quirky clogs, to beret-wearing dogs, strudels and even touristy, naff doodles. The uniquely composed track brings a big orchestral feel to the film which compliments the action packed creative as it highlights exactly how people feel when they go on holiday and closes with O2’s commitment to customers, ‘We’re better, connected.’ 

All media was planned and handled by Havas Media UK (part of Havas Media Group UK), and supports the existing strategy to activate all media in a travel context. Supporting TV, ‘Share my Clogs’ will also roll out across multiple formats including OOH in travel environments including airports, trains and train stations and TfL, a Daily Telegraph ‘Travel’ takeover and O2 ads served on Trip Advisor. It will be further supported through OLV, display, radio as well as cinema which makes a return for the first time in several years for O2, with a bronze spot in this summer’s blockbuster Thor, as well as supporting social platforms including Twitter and TikTok.

Bringing the campaign further to life on social media and in earned media, O2 will partner with travel influencers, Emma Cooke and Leesh Brock on TikTok as they share their quirkiest content from their holidays and encourage their followers to share with own versions by using the hashtag #O2RoamFreely. On Twitter, O2 has created a holiday content generator where Twitter users will be able to respond to O2 tweets using the hashtag #O2RoamFreely with a European flag emoji of choice to unlock unknown destination facts about their chosen holiday hotspot. 

As a further nod to the Love Island partnership, O2 has collaborated with this year’s Islanders to create a bespoke ‘Share my Clogs’ mash up film of the Islanders dawning clogs themselves that will be released later this month. Additional Love Island activity also includes collaborations with ex-Islanders Chloe Burrows, Sharon Gaffka, Amber Gill and Hugo Hammond who will create two pieces of TikTok native content using the duet feature on the platform. The ex-Islanders will react to a highlights reel from the show, and divulge some of their own behind-the-scenes content from their time on the hit reality tv show! 

As the official network partner of Love Island, Virgin Media O2 is also running a Priority partnership campaign with Jet2holidays, offering a selection of prizes and opportunities via Priority throughout the remainder of the year. All Priority members will be able to enjoy an exclusive Jet2holidays money off discount worth £75 during the ‘Share my Clogs’ campaign period, and lucky Virgin Media O2 customers will be in with the chance to win 122 Jet2holidays vouchers worth up to £2500, as well as various VIBE by Jet2holidays packages, including an Island VIBE experience in Majorca.

Simon Valcarcel, marketing director at Virgin Media O2 said: “Summer is here and you can certainly feel the energy and excitement in the air. ‘Share my Clogs’ is the third chapter in our Roam Freely campaign and it’s a reflection of how Brits are embracing travel abroad this year. After two Covid disrupted years for travel, we’re delighted to be able to give our customers that extra benefit to make their holidays even more special. We’re determined to ensure the nation knows that we’re the only major UK network not to reintroduce EU roaming charges so that our customers can roam freely and share selfies, snaps and stories without any hassle.” 

Kimberley Gill, creative director at VCCP London added: “Instead of highlighting what other networks may not be doing to help their customers abroad, we wanted to celebrate that O2 lets you roam for free. What I love about the campaign is it’s so wonderfully daft, a rallying cry to go out, and do it all, and share it all! Share My Clogs might sound frivolous, but it couldn’t be more hardworking.” 

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 which sees O2’s friendly little blue robot, Bubl, help holidaymakers share their holiday snaps, mishaps, and experiences hassle and cost-free with friends and family back home. The integrated campaign by O2 is live from today until mid-August. PR is supported by Hope&Glory.