The Chemical Brothers Entice Music-Lovers to Spiral Down the Rabbit Hole in Trippy Ad for London's O2

It's the age-old hippie debate: Do we follow the rabbit down the hole? In an energetic new ad from agency VCCP, London's O2 entices hipsters to get out of their flats, as the Brits say, and take that trip. As The Chemical Brothers' "EML Ritual" thumps incessantly in the background, our heroes follow not one, but multiple blue rabbits down the hole ... wherever it may lead. [kickout id="1"] The 2:20 spot builds on O2's larger #FollowtheRabbit campaign, which introduced the sole blue rabbit last year. The character wasn't quite as cute as Alice's White Rabbit or as creepy as Donnie Darko's Frank the Rabbit, but as we can see from the new ad, one little bunny has since multiplied. Now, the growing rabbit family works to guide London's youth away from their screens to experience live music. And you, the viewer, can follow the rabbit, too. Alongside the video, O2 will be deploying an augmented reality-version of the blue rabbit on Snapchat. Upon unlocking a specially designed lens, users can see the blue bunny scurry around in their own environment and follow it as far as they wish. (Spoiler alert: The end of the road is a magical portal that swallows the rabbit up.) [kickout id="2"] “Through The O2, 19 O2 Academy venues and access to thousands of priority tickets, O2 provides access to some of the best live music not only nationwide, but worldwide," said Rachel Swift, O2 brand director and creative head. "Unlike other brands that encourage people to stay glued to a screen, O2 believes that everyone should be getting out and living in the moment. Nothing beats the emotional connection that comes from live music, and #FollowTheRabbit reminds our customers just how good it is.” While the campaign promotes the O2 dome itself, it also spreads the word about the company's 19 other venues in the U.K., featuring giveaways and access to deals like "priority tickets," a pre-sale open to certain customers two days prior to general public release dates. In its statement today, O2 added it would be expanding partnerships with cultural influencers and "super fans" (how concert goers can earn that title is unclear), giving them access to front-row tickets at any O2 event. The campaign will be supported across various channels including TV, Instagram Stories, Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, video on demand and out-of-home spots across the U.K.. On Twitter, using the hashtag #O2Music, users will also unlock a branded emoji. CREDITS Client: O2 Agency: VCCP Campaign: #FollowTheRabbit ECD: Darren Bailes Creative Director: Jim Capp Associate Creative Directors: Pete Bastiman and Bish Aylesbury Agency Producer: Becky Grove Production Assistant: Sydney McGauran Head of TV: Olly Calverley Planning Director: Nicky Vita Senior Account Director: Caroline Shortt Account Director: Laura Henderson Prod. Co: Outsider Directors: Dom and Nic Production Co. Producer: John Masden Editor: Ed Cheeseman at Final Cut Sound: Sam Ashwell at 750mph Music Consultancy: Soho Music VFX: The Mill Colourist: David ‘Luddy’ Ludlam Executive Creative Director: Jonathan ‘Wes’ Westley Executive Producer: Alex Fitzgerald 3D Lead: Alex Hammond 2D Lead: Gianluca Di Marco Animation Director: Jorge Montiel VFX Producer: Imogen Pai