Vodafone is the only British-owned mobile network and the most valuable British brand. In Olympic year, In Jubilee year and with all eyes on Britain, Vodafone decided to launch a campaign about its commitment to keeping Londoners connected. The cabs were unique in that for the first time, passengers could charge their phones in-cab, and even pay for their fare via text message.

We identified the opportunity to draw upon the brand’s British heritage, and use it to create an iconic campaign with a design that would catch the wave of national pride. Marrying together the geography of London, the connectivity of Vodafone and the pride in the Union Jack, we crafted a new map of London with over 2,000 street names, laid out geographically to form a giant typographic wrap. The campaign was unveiled under the banner ‘London’s Calling’, to bring all the elements together and highlight the functionality of the taxis.

Research amongst Londoners identified 40% recall in August – significantly higher than any other taxi campaign - rising to 60% by October. A quarter of Londoners see the campaign at least daily. Over half of those exposed to the campaign are now more likely to consider Vodafone. Over half (53%) of non-customers are more likely to consider; 65% of Vodafone customers now feel closer to the brand. Half of those using Vodafone taxis used the in-taxi charger, generating an overwhelmingly positive perception of Vodafone. The campaign, which has continued throughout 2012, was immediately featured in 41 press articles and on social media and is set to run for 18 months in total.