Make Them Giants

Launched ahead of the biggest tournament in English Rugby history, the animation marks the latest stage of O2’s Wear the Rose campaign which is calling on the nation to get behind England Rugby. Directed by award-winning director, illustrator and animator Elliot Dear, the film follows the England Rugby team as the entire nation Wears the Rose, turning the players into formidable, yet friendly, giants who are ready to take on the world.

With a myriad of twists and turns, the film shows England Captain Chris Robshaw, Mike Brown and Courtney Lawes moving from bewilderment as they grow size in their everyday lives, to realisation that the power of support can make them giants – giants who have the determination, passion and pride in representing their nation and being a formidable force on an international stage.

Over twelve months in the making, and featuring over 6,500 hand-drawn and hand-coloured character frames and 74 hand-painted backgrounds, the 2D animation was created by 30 animators – headed up by world renowned lead animator Dominic Carola – who worked 18,420 hours in total to create the 2 minute call to action for English pride and support.

And for those who want to emulate their heroes, we have also made an Avatar Creator where the public can play with face shape, hair styles and even the size of their nose and eyes to create an England Rugby supporter avatar to use across their social media channels as the ultimate symbol of support for the England team.

O2’s Wear the Rose campaign calls on the country to make the team feel like giants through the power of support. Other activities across the summer have so far included the O2 Touch Tour which travelled the country throughout June and July, the launch of a 50,000 Official England shirt giveaway through Priority last month and the recent rebranding of all O2 stores to Wear the Rose.

Visit www.o2.co.uk/weartherose to create an Avatar or follow @O2sports on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #WearTheRose