EEeeeee! I love new things!

I saw a new TV advert today that stopped me in my tracks. This may not seem blog-worthy on the surface, but it was a jolly good ad. Not only did it contain one of my all-time favourite actors (Kevin Bacon), it introduced me to a brand new brand....EE.

It's not often that a massive super-brand launches in the UK, but when EE did, by golly did it make a splash. Media Week reported that the 4G campaign had cost an estimated £100m and the above-the-line marketing assault dominated newspaper, outdoor advertising and digital. This adds to its existing social media and PR campaigns, and made way for my new favourite TV ad.

So, why is it my favourite? At just over 1 minute 55 seconds it's rather lengthy, so should probably be too long for my twitter-addled goldfish brain attention span. But it isn't. It uses an iconic star, references an iconic game (six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Google it.) and has a great key message - 'EE is the new network for your digital life'. So epic it hurts.

Another stand out aspect of this brand launch, is the way that EE's staff have been brought along in the journey - Marketing Week reported on the internal brand launch where EE declared its staff to be its key marketing asset. They're using gamification techniques and jazzy social platforms to connect their workers to each other, creating a fun and innovative culture. Sounds good to me!

I will continue to watch and wait to see what kind of impact EE has on the crowded marketplace - but congratulate them on a magnificent TV advert that has certainly raised my brand awareness!