Why walk when you can ride? 

Virgin Media O2 has today launched a new integrated campaign with the UK agency of record, VCCP, content studio Girl&Bear and and VCCP’s product and service innovation company Bernadette to devise the new edition of VMO2’s campaign of ‘Why walk when you can ride?’. The new integrated campaign launches Virgin Media’s Wifi guarantee and its promise to lead the way among all major broadbands by delivering super connectivity, reliability and speed. 

This one of a kind creative campaign will be released in a number of formats but will principally focus on award-winning director, Jeff Low’s 60” hero film. Supported by a 30” spot, the film ingeniously tells the story of a Highland cow, leaving the herd and biking away off into the distance. Inspired by footage streamed from Virgin Media’s WiFi, the Highland cow embodies VMO2’s promise to pave the way by providing the fastest guarantee of any major UK provider. 

The imaginative TVC begins with a close-up on the cow’s face as it heads towards the breath-taking views of the Scottish Highlands. Biking to the iconic soundtrack of Patrick Swayze’s Dirty Dancing track ‘She’s Like The Wind’, the camera follows the cow for a period of time before pulling away and leaving it to endeavour on its own adventure. Thereby, challenging the customer to, Why walk when you can ride? Similar to the cow’s quest to better herself, this film builds on Virgin Media’s commitment to challenge the status quo through their infinite quest to optimise customer experience. Heading to better and beyond!

This striking campaign demonstrates how Virgin Media’s market-leading speed credentials and new Wifi guarantee solidifies its leading position. Thanks to VMO2’s superior connectivity, the Highland Cow has no need to look behind as it motors off to both better and beyond. Thereby, succeeding in providing VMO2’s message with more swagger.

Strategically, this campaign presents a much-needed change of creative direction as it boldly recommits VMO2 to its core values. A facet of this return to VMO2’s bold attitude can be seen in the built in 3D CGI, created by Emmy and Bafta award-winning Untold Studios’ work as this bespoke feature will feature across brand and trading platforms. This bespoke creation is strategically supported by the 60” TVC and a unique 30” edit of the film which will support VMO2’s partnership with Netflix, and is due to appear on three of its hugely popular shows. Strong commitments to the ‘To Better and Beyond’ campaign are apparent in the fact that it lives in OOH solely at The O2 Arena, on display, OVOD, BVOD, retail and also across social media.

Amy Gilbert, Marketing Director at Virgin Media O2 said, “The Virgin Media brand is rooted in unstoppable spirit and a desire to continually push boundaries to offer our customers more. From our unrivalled broadband speeds to our market leading WiFi guarantee, the purpose of our new creative platform is to bring this spirit to life in a fun and playful way and demonstrate the endless possibilities when you have superior connectivity.” 

David Masterman, Deputy Executive Creative Director at VCCP London added, “This new campaign reinjects Virgin Media with its iconic attitude. Showing how we enable our customers to go to better and beyond, embodied by a highland cow on a Triumph Bonneville.”

‘To Better and Beyond’ runs from today until late November across TVC, BVOD, display, social, retail, OOH at The O2 and OLV (YouTube). MG OMD handled the media planning and buying for the campaign.