Although we use them every day, it is impossible for people to actually see phone networks. Unlike other goods, mobile data is invisible, and this can be confusing for consumers. With a network that has been awarded multiple times, the Telefónica-owned telecommunications brand O₂, together with Serviceplan Bubble agency, decided that it is now time to visually define what cannot be seen with the naked eye: The 5G network.

Specially tailored to the telecommunication company, the agency — which seeks to continually develop the O₂ brand — went to great lengths “to make the incomprehensible comprehensible,” according to Leif Johannsen and Patrick Matthiensen, Managing Partners Creation at Serviceplan Bubble. Through the latest installment, the brand reaches out to consumers via an interactive painting, for which the team used the internet’s signal strength to generate a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork.

By blending technology with creativity, the provider’s “Visible Net” campaign enables the 5G network to visually manifest for the first time, revealing itself before the public’s eyes in a shiny way. To define the 5G network in visual terms, the team collected data from various locations across Germany. Then, the crew “fed” an LED bar hanging underneath a drone with the information, assigning it with the task to convert the input data into light impulses. The principle is simple: The stronger the signal of the network, the brighter the light.

Using long exposure, photographer Kai-Uwe Gundlach — who would love to see the resulting image in a gallery one day — succeeded in developing a visible network from the light patterns of the LED bar. The whole process is documented in a short video directed by Mau Morgó, with production handled by BWGTBLD from Berlin.

Wolfgang Metze, Chief Consumer Officer of Telefónica Deutschland/O₂, says: “I am very proud that today we are able to offer our customers a very good network experience: Only a few days ago, our O₂ network, for the second time, was awarded the mark “very good” in the important connect network test. Opensignal has also named the O₂ 5G network as the network with the fasted download speed in the competition. For us, this is the perfect occasion to now continue the O₂ network offensive with 5G after our very successful 4G campaign. ‘The Visible Net’ also creates new creative standards and will further strengthen our core brand O₂.”

Michael Falkensteiner, Director of Brand & Marketing Communications Telefónica Deutschland/O₂, continues: “In May, we started our network campaign ‘Welcome to the very good network of O₂’ and ran it via all channels very successfully until the end of November. I am pleased that we are now seamlessly following this up with attention-grabbing communication measures around 5G. ‘The Visible Net’ stands out through its strong creative performance and combines technology and art in a spectacular way. Thus, the campaign for O₂ marks a new milestone on the path to a superbrand.”

“Communication providers like to talk about their 5G network. Yet very few people can grasp what it means,” conclude Johannsen and Matthiensen. Now, with the 5G network finally having a “face,” people will probably find it easier to understand how this technology works.

Developed as a 360-degree campaign, O₂’s initiative runs across TV, online, print, OOH, and other social platforms. The one-minute-long video is supported by eleven different images and is also accompanied by a behind-the-scenes movie, which runs on social media.

Credits:

Client: Telefónica // O₂

Chief Consumer Officer: Wolfgang Metze

Director Brand & Marketing Communications: Michael Falkensteiner

Head of Competence Center Communication: Brigitte Giels

Principal End to End Communications: Nikolaus Lemli-

Senior Marketing Communications Manager: Stefanie Welter

Senior Brand Manager: Rafael Binczyk

Senior Media Manager: Tobias Jacob

Senior Digital Content & Social Media Manager: Nadine Zich

Customer Base Management: Franziska Günster

Trade Marketing Manager: Sami Abubaker

Agency: Serviceplan Bubble

Managing Partners: Lars Holling, Leif Johannsen, Patrick Matthiensen

Account Management:

Client Service Director: Saskia Kroschewski

Account Manager: Benedikt Bermel

Junior Account Manager: Anna-Lena Munsch

Creatives:

Creative Director Art: Pavel Bondarenko

Creative Director Text: Daniel Steller

Senior Copywriter: Martin Gillen

Senior Art Director: Finnja Skornia

Senior Art Director: Tudor Cucu

Junior Copywriter: Steven Hartmann

Art Director: Theresa Fechler

Intern Copy: Melanie Ruf

FFF:

Senior Producer: Katrin Habermann

Film Production: BWGTBLD

Havas Media Germany:

Account Director: Michael Sack

Group Head: Freya Strohmeier

Consultant Omnichannel: Marina Größl

Consultant: Jacqueline Roth