2019 Silver Best Digital Experience

Agency: RAPP UK

Client: Virgin Media

Campaign Name: A night out-out like no other

Campaign Overview

The vision: make BAFTA TV Awards one of the most talked-about topics in Britain.

Strategy

TV fans want a piece of the action. And they like to be in charge. The power of fandom can determine casting, change a story arc and even help get a cancelled show back on TV. Virgin Media branded the craze ‘Active Fandom’.

To harness viewers’ desire to get involved, and maximise Virgin Media’s sponsorship, RAPP delivered content that would make staying in to watch the BAFTA TV Awards as immersive as being there.

That meant building a suite of intimate and interactive live and virtual experiences that put fans in the driving seat, making the most of direct and digital channels.

RAPP targeted customers and prospects with a campaign that made staying in on the night of the BAFTA TV Awards feel as intimate and interactive as being there.

Creativity

Using an array of innovative social and direct marketing experiences, Virgin Media gave customers at home an alternative, equally immersive and interactive way to engage with the glamour of the BAFTA TV Awards.

It was bigger than just staying in; it was Staying In-In.

As headline sponsor, Virgin Media was expected to put on a show that would engage TV fans and make them feel part of the event, wherever they were watching it.

RAPP created a 360 degree live stream via Periscope, where fans at home could get close to the stars on the red carpet.

One of the biggest challenges was grabbing celebs’ attention on the red carpet.
Cue the RoboPap, Virgin Media’s fully robotic reporter planted at the heart of the red carpet to capture the stars from every angle. The scoops were shared instantly via the brand’s social channels.

Long before the big night, canvassing began for Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment (the only category voted by the public) starting with 400,000 of the brand’s customers.

A further 10,000 customers were sent Google Cardboard VR headsets for a truly immersive red carpet experience.

Results

The campaign reached 18.6 million people, including two million Periscope views in a single hour.

It beat the previous year’s BAFTA TV activity reach by 36%. And the cost per view was 71% lower than forecast.

Votes for the Virgin Media Must-See Moment went up by an impressive 88%, with an uplift in engagement of 61%.

Customers enjoyed the direct channel activity, with emails driving NPS by +2.4 points and a strong 8% action rate.

The Team

Jeffrey Osborne, Head of 3D and Motion Graphics - Hiten Bhatt, Creative Director - Lee Jarrold, Designer - Raphael Oselle, Designer - Stephen Gordon, Creative Director - Ben Fegradoe, Art Director - Hayley Sarratt, Copywriter - Cathy Crocker, Art Director - Ollie Easthope, Copywriter - Chris Lovell, Art Director - Jon Beach, Copywriter - Kinga Wawrzyniak, Art Director - Sam Milburn, Copywriter - Chris Myers, Copywriter - Simon Kavanagh, Copywriter - Chiara Trecchi, Senior Producer - Katherine Dove, Producer - Craig Hawkes, Programme Director - Gary Percival, Senior Artworker - Simon Berry, Account Director - Mat Hanson, Account Director - Kit Rowcliffe, Account Manager - Joe Hoppard, Head of Content Strategy - Alexandra Waring, Senior Strategist Perla Bloom, Strategist - Diamond Abdulrahim, Strategist - Naveen Iftekhar, Social Ads Account Director - Anne Lin, Social Ads Account Manager - Naomi Mapoma, Biddable Executive