Top Up Surprises

Background

In the depths of the recession, O2 wanted a promotional mechanic that would engage with customers, encourage loyalty and, most vitally of all, increase frequency and value of top-ups. It was a tough challenge.

O2 Top-up Surprises was a promotion which guaranteed Pay & Go customers a surprise every time they topped-up their phone credit. The creative led with the message, ‘surprises of all sizes, every time you top up’ and each media element showcased the campaign’s signature yellow ducks. Journeying from the Antarctic, through an Amazonian river, and ending in a pond in the UK, this stream of ducks are eventually hooked by fishermen to reveal a small surprise that they’re entitled to, simply for being an O2 customer.

The TV and print required a direct response, pushing people to text O2 to receive a unique code redeemable at o2.co.uk/surprises. We developed a fun ‘hook the duck’ game which enabled then to discover what surprise they had won. Surprises ranged from free texts and picture messages to LCD TVs and laptops.

Almost 6m people have visited the website, 138,000 on the first day of the launch of the TV campaign. ‘Ducks’ has been rated as the most enjoyable O2 campaign ever and most importantly of all, the average value of a customer’s top-up increased by 7%.