First Virgin Media ad by VCCP features TV rapping about streaming service

Virgin Media has released its first spot by VCCP, featuring a high-energy talking TV that raps about the brand’s latest streaming and on-demand service.

It forms part of a multimillion-pound brand campaign, called “Hyped”, which is the inaugural campaign by VCCP since it won the combined Virgin Media O2 creative account in March, following the merger of the two brands.

In the ad, homes and shops across the country are interrupted by an animated mouth on TV screens. The mouth is voiced by garage artist MC Neat, who spits fast-paced lyrics on the benefits of using the new Stream service.

At VCCP the creatives were Ben Evans, Adam Sears, Sophie Knox and Miles Carter. Rollo Jackson directed the spot through Somesuch.

In addition to the 60-second spot, there will also be five-second “blipverts” interrupting ad breaks, with the animated mouth proclaiming “I’ve seen the future of viewing for you” and telling viewers about Virgin Media’s new plug-and-play box.

The service allows flexible viewing of TV channels, alongside on-demand apps plus access to streaming subscriptions and films, powered by Virgin Media broadband.

The campaign will run for eight weeks in the UK, across TV, online video, social, digital display and retail, including digital screens.

Bespoke 20-second edits of the film will run across TV as well as online and broadcaster video on demand, targeting customers with interests in music, gaming and entertainment, plus families.

On YouTube, ads will be intercepted by campaign messaging that will be tailored to the user, including referencing the nature of the content the viewer is about to watch.

Amy Gilbert, marketing director at Virgin Media, said: “Stream offers a convenient, flexible and more personal connected entertainment experience, bringing the future of viewing right into our customers’ living rooms.

“For a truly disruptive proposition, we needed a truly disruptive creative approach, so we’ve taken the idea beyond a TV spot, disrupting viewers in blipverts across ad breaks and in VOD, with a little help from MC Neat. Disruption is part of Virgin Media’s DNA and that’s exactly why it’s at the heart of this campaign.”

Manning Gottlieb OMD handled the media planning and buying, while Rapp will oversee customer communications. Rapp won the consolidated account for Virgin Media 02 last month.

Separately, VCCP’s “Share my clogs” campaign for O2 has also launched, reminding customers that the phone company does not charge roaming fees in the European Union.

To accompany a 40-second TV spot, influencers who have appeared on Love Island will share content via TikTok and Twitter.

The activity forms part of O2’s wider “Roam freely” campaign, which launched earlier this year.

The TV ad features the voice of Sean Bean explaining that customers can “roam freely’ in the EU with O2, while a customer – voiced by Robert Webb – talks about the clogs, dogs and strudels he has been sharing via his phone.

Carter and Knox also created the O2 campaign. Alex Boutell directed the spot through Rogue Productions.

There will also be ads in out-of-home locations, including in airports, trains and railway stations, in The Daily Telegraph and on the Tripadvisor website. Online video, display, radio and cinema also form part of the campaign – the last of which marks a return to this setting for the phone company.

Havas Media UK handled the media planning and buying for the O2 Campaign. Virgin Media 02 is currently reviewing its media account.