Three Promises UK a 5G-Powered Future as an Antidote to the Nation’s Ills

Today Three offers a taste of a fun-filled, 5G-powered future as it unveils its biggest brand campaign to date – a celebration of a ‘Real 5G’ connected world. The humorous ad is an antidote to the current gloomy headlines and bleak forecast for the UK.

Three’s ‘Real 5G’ campaign, an evolution from ‘Phones Are Good’, is a celebration of its 5G mobile service rolling out now across the UK this month. The bold brand campaign continues to demonstrate Three’s fun and relatable personality, whilst transporting the viewer into a vibrant 5G world of endless possibilities. 

The concept was created with Wieden+Kennedy London, directed by Ian Pons Jewell – the talent behind the brand’s previous ‘Phones Are Good’ ad - and produced by Academy.

The time-travelling wormhole from the ‘Phones Are Good’ ad returns once again, but this time instead of jumping back in time, it leaps forward into a brighter 5G future. The campaign also features a cameo from music artist Lewis Capaldi – introducing his 5G hologram-self as a ‘pop sensation’ - highlighting how customers will enjoy 5G Broadband in the home.

Opening on a present-day news report predicting a dismal future for the UK, the ad transports the viewer through a vibrant wormhole to an instantly recognisable, futuristic 5G-powered London skyline with drone post-boxes, a digital Big Ben and partners of Three such as Samsung and Greggs. Each scene highlights different benefits of 5G, proving that Britain’s future doesn’t look so dismal. Scenes include:

- The future of Tinder dating with holographic technology, all from the back of a self-driving taxi kitted out with a robotic driver – for small talk purposes only! 

- On board ‘Spacey McSpaceface’ - a commercial spaceflight to the moon – a female passenger is seen instantly downloading all episodes of 'Bits Planet' in a few seconds, thanks to Three’s 5G, blocking out her annoying fellow passenger.

- Dropping into a 5G-powered gaming warzone, with online gamers from around the world. One player is lagging, as she’s not connected to Three’s 5G.  

- To complete the futuristic world, Three’s 5G enables a robotic England team to finally bring football home. 

Three’s ‘Real 5G’ ad launched on Twitter today (26th February) - in a fitting mobile-first approach – on @ThreeUK. The campaign will then go live across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, as well as digital, OOH and amplified across its retail stores – using the consistent wormhole concept across all touch points. 

Three is also giving customers the chance to jump through the wormhole with an exclusive Instagram lens, to get a glimpse of their future 5G job – launching in early March on @threeuk on Instagram.

The ad will premiere on TV from February 27th, launching in stand-out shows across the opening week. The ad will be placed in ITV1’s flagship entertainment show, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, on February 29th and watched by millions of people across the UK. 

Supported with media planning from Zenith, and PR & Social Media from the in-house team at Studio Three and Pretty Green. The campaign features partner brands such as Samsung, YouTube Music, Deliveroo, Greggs, KFC, and Tinder, as well as Grammy award nominee Lewis Capaldi.

Three launched its 5G Home Broadband service last August and continues to roll-out its 5G network across the UK this year. It is set to be the fastest 5G network in the country; Three’s customers will benefit from the vast 5G capacity and speeds that only Three can offer, enabling the best 5G experience possible. Three anticipates it will provide peak mobile speeds of up to 2x faster than other telco operators due to its substantial 5G spectrum holding. All of Three’s new and existing customers will have access to 5G with no speed caps and at no extra cost on all contract, SIM only and PAYG mobile plans.