OVO plugged everyday appliances into the earth for Uncommon's first campaign

Uncommon's first campaign for OVO had to capture its 'positive energy since 2009' spirit: renewables as a credible answer to fossil fuels, without telling people to use less.

Everyday appliances plugged into the earth as a metaphor for renewable power, while TVs on a beach rebut climate deniers with Network's 'Get Mad' speech.

A film directed by Andreas Nilsson (Biscuit Filmworks) with The Mill London on post, plus print, OOH, press, digital, social, BTL and PR; hero TV slots in Homeland, Marcella and Endeavour, running to mid-April 2018.

Ran across ITV1, Channel 4 and key stations for mass awareness, spanning TV, VOD, online film, OOH, press, digital, social, BTL and PR; it debuted Uncommon's defiant tone for the brand.

LBB reported on 2018-03-05 that OVO Energy, the UK's largest independent energy supplier with 850,000 customers, launched 'Power your life differently', its biggest and most provocative campaign, created by Uncommon Creative Studio — the studio's first work for the brand. The aim: encapsulate OVO's mission of 'positive energy since 2009' and help people see they can safeguard the environmental future by powering their lives with renewable energy.

The film, directed by Andreas Nilsson, features the everyday appliances of daily life plugged into the earth as a metaphor for renewable energy powering the world. Televisions on a beach carry the protestations of climate change deniers, rebutted by the iconic 'Get Mad' call-to-arms speech from the film Network, all set to Slayer's 'Raining Blood'. Print and film juxtapose unstoppable renewable sources against the deniers as a credible solution to the fossil fuel problem.

Brand director Sarah Keegan said OVO has 'always focused on creating the energy system of the future' and wants customers to join by switching or adding renewable electricity. Uncommon founder and CCO Nils Leonard said being environmentally conscious 'isn't fringe anymore' and that the metal soundtrack sets the tone for 'a commanding and unconventional film from a company in the energy sector'.

Rather than lecturing people to consume less energy, the creative empowers them to join a switch to renewables — a more shareable proposition.

Provocation was the media strategy: hero slots around Homeland, Marcella and Endeavour were chosen to drive conversation across UK media and social.

Cultural dissonance — Slayer under a renewable-energy metaphor — made an energy supplier's ad feel like a statement rather than a tariff pitch.

Reframe a sacrifice message ('use less') as a power message ('join us') — and cast against type: thrash metal and an angry 1976 speech for an energy brand.

The integrated campaign ran until mid-April 2018 across TV, VOD, online film, OOH, press, digital, social, BTL and PR, and marked the start of OVO 'empowering customers to power their lives differently' under Uncommon.