Virgin, sir Richard Branson’s media emporium marks its 40th anniversary with a new Virgin Money’s takeover of the nationalized lender Northern Rock.
Photo: a snapshot from the Virgin Money ad
The launch is followed with a new TV ad campaign and a 270-degree architectural 3D projection show that was held last week at the University of London’s Senate House Library courtyard depicting the milestones in Virgin’s history including space travels and Branson’s balloon flight.
The new TV ad assures viewers that Virgin Money would be a better kind of bank. The first Northern Rock branch was rebranded to Virgin Money last week, with all 75 branches to be rebranded by September. Branson is intended to offer customers easy-to-understand financial products and quality customer service.
Virgin Media also has signed Usain Bolt, the Olympic gold medal-winning Jamaican sprinter, to star in a £110m campaign ‘Keep Up’ to promote its superfast broadband service. The campaign launched on Saturday night with an ad during ITV1’s hit dating show Take Me Out was created by DDB London. It promotes Virgin Media’s new move to double the broadband speed for its 4.1m internet customers over the next 18 months.
Virgin Media chose Bolt as a perfect embodiment of speed. In the comic ad, Bolt attempts to impersonate Branson by taking over his office and donning his trademark blonde goatee. The TV ad is to be supported by ads in other media including national press and billboards. Bolt also pretending to be Branson on Twitter, using the hashtag #IamRBranson.
The campaign was directed by Seth Gordon who most recently made Hollywood comedy Horrible Bosses starring Jason Bateman.
