remark April 2017 | Page 7

2 PACESETTERS

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I n t h e i r 2 2 nd y e a r i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h E n g l a n d R u g b y , O 2 h a v e g o n e a b o v e a n d b e y o n d i n a n a t t e m p t t o b r i n g t h e f a n s c l o s e r t o t h e a c t i o n . I n d o i n g s o , a r e a l e m p h a s i s h a s b e e n p u t o n d e l i v e r i n g exclusive content and focusing on unprecedented behind-the-scenes a c c e s s .
The L i v e O 2 I n s i d e L i n e h a s b e e n a b i g feature in this year ’ s Six Nations campaign : V e r n o n K a y h a s b e e n a t t h e h e l m p r e s e n t i n g t h i s n e w l i v e s h o w . O 2 h a v e p r o v i d e d a v a r i e t y o f b e h i n d - the- s c e n e s e x p e r i e n c e s f o r t h e f a n : w h e t h e r t h i s b e t h e i r n e w 1 0 - m i n u t e l i v e F a c e b o o k s t r e a m i n s i d e t h e E n g l a n d t r a i n i n g c a m p o n g a m e w e e k , o r the l i v e m a t c h - d a y s t r e a m , f e a t u r i n g s cenes i n s i d e t h e t u n n e l a n d p i t c h s i d e , a s w e l l a s a l i v e Q & A w i t h p l a y e r s s t r a i g h t a f t e r t h e g a m e .
I n a d d i t i o n , h a v i n g p r e v i o u s l y r e l e a s e d a V R t r a i n i n g d a y e x p e r i e n c e , O 2 h a v e g o n e o n e s t e p further b y c o m b i n i n g real- life 360 ° v i d e o with C G I characters t o p r o d u c e an interactive v i d e o - g a m e exclusively for O2 c u s t o m e r s . O2 h a s w o r k e d with t h e E n g l a n d t e a m t h e m s e l v e s t o d e v e l o p t h i s i n n o v a t i v e experience allowing f a n s t o j o i n i n w i t h t h e E n g l a n d t e a m a n d t a k e p a r t i n v i r t u a l points- based d r i l l s r a n g i n g f r o m s c r u m m a g i n g t o t a c k l i n g , w i t h t h e u l t i m a t e p r i z e o f b e i n g s e l e c t e d t o # WearTheRose .
Vodafone
W i t h a n e m p h a s i s o n t a k i n g v i e w e r s b e y o n d t h e 8 0 m i n u t e s o f r u g b y on- field , Vodafone h a v e c r e a t e d s o m e i n s i g h t f u l c o n t e n t i n a n a t t e m p t t o b r i n g f a n s c l o s e r t o I r i s h R u g b y u s i n g # T e a m O f U s . T h e f o c u s o n o f f - thef i e l d e x p e r i e n c e s h i g h l i g h t s a s h i f t i n sponsorship attention . By getting t o k n o w the players better o f f t h e p i t c h a n d o u t s i d e o f t h e i r f a m i l i a r territory as well as the f a n s t h e m s e l v e s , t h i s r e p r e s e n t s a n e w t y p e o f r u g b y c o n t e n t .
Vodafone ’ s c a m p a i g n b e g a n d u r i n g t h e 2016 A u t u m n i n t e r n a t i o n a l s : t h e y r e l e a s e d a behind- the- scenes , a l l - access d o c u m e n t a r y o f I r e l a n d ’ s s u c c e s s f u l t o u r o f S o u t h A f r i c a , a p t l y n a m e d ‘ W h a t w e d i d l a s t s u m m e r ’ . S u b s e q u e n t l y , Vodafone released a second m u c h - anticipated documentary that aired after I r e l a n d ’ s w i n o v e r France i n t h e S i x Nations . Entitled Four D a y s i n N o v e m b e r , i t p r o v i d e d v i e w e r s w i t h unprecedented access t o t h e I r i s h p l a y e r s a s w e l l a s l o y a l f a n s t h r o u g h n e v e r - before- s e e n f o o t a g e a n d i s a m u s t s e e !
T h r o u g h e x c l u s i v e e n g a g e m e n t w i t h the I r i s h team , V o d a f o n e h a v e b e e n a b l e t o i n n o v a t i v e l y c a p t i v a t e r u g b y f a n s . B y focusing on the human relationships that e x i s t b e h i n d I r i s h r u g b y , n o t j u s t p l a y e r s a n d c o a c h e s b u t a l s o w i t h i n t h e d i v e r s e r u g b y f a n b a s e , V o d a f o n e h a v e s u c c e s s f u l l y t a k e n a u n i q u e direction .