O2 fires up guerilla art projections to build Nothing Phone hype
Telecoms brand O2 has teamed up with consumer tech brand Nothing to project ‘decodable art’ at key locations across the UK in service of the launch of its hotly-anticipated smartphone.
The outdoor light shows comprise four bespoke art pieces created by designer and coder Anderion De Castro, which combine beauty and mystery by inviting audiences in London, Birmingham and Manchester to crack their codes to reveal a hidden message.
O2 is also embracing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for the first time with a bespoke digital asset handed to those who successfully solve the puzzle.
Developed with VCCP London and Havas Media, the hi-tech approach seeks to bring the digital partnership to life by promoting the latest technology, illustrating why smartphones remain at the crux of modern life.
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Simon Valcarel, marketing director at Virgin Media O2, said: “We’ve created unique code-infused digital artwork that is doubling up as an NFT, and projected it across the UK’s biggest cities in an attention-grabbing, creative campaign that’s been purposefully built to catch the eye, steal the nation’s curiosity and drive intrigue through longer-dwelling disruptive media channels.”
Jonny Parker and Chris Birch, executive creative directors at VCCP London, added: “This work was the epitome of us being a challenger agency for challenger brands. This is not your typical trading DR campaign but something totally unique that has never been done before at O2 (in game adverts and NFTs). Catch the art if you can, and try to crack the code!”
The transparent Nothing Phone 1 is available exclusively via O2 and is being promoted with an animated glyph that flashes like a countdown timer.