A skater steps out before the audience under the gaze of competitors who, at least initially, do not take her performance particularly seriously. The music begins, she presses a button on her belt, and an inflatable chicken costume unfolds around her. What could have been another properly executed routine turns into a performance that the judges record on their phones.
That scene introduces the new creative platform Let Fun In, through which British mobile operator Three Mobile is seeking to appeal to a younger audience. Instead of presenting the network primarily as a matter of speed and coverage, the brand assigns it a simpler role: enabling people to discover, share and embrace experiences that are otherwise easily pushed aside by routine and everyday obligations.
The film’s protagonist was not selected through a casting process. Katarina Suemnig, an eleven-year-old figure skater from Plymouth, Minnesota, performed in the same costume at a national figure skating competition last year. A video of her routine collected more than 25 million views on TikTok, and Wonderhood Studios has now brought its unusual character into an advertising film. The new choreography was created by British coach Daniel Linden, a former Great Britain international ice dancer.
The film retains the nervousness that accompanies stepping out before the judges, but does not turn it into a grand story about courage. Katarina simply chooses a performance she finds fun. To The Donnas’ song Dancing with Myself, she skates in a costume that makes it appear as though she is riding a chicken, performs a jump slowed down at the crucial moment and finishes the routine with her arms outstretched, before an audience that has meanwhile stopped judging how serious she looks.
Let Fun In has replaced the previous platform Life Needs A Big Network. The change comes after the formation of VodafoneThree, within whose portfolio Three now needs to establish a more distinctive position alongside the Vodafone, VOXI, SMARTY and Talkmobile brands. The new platform draws on the challenger character that Three has built in the past, but directs it towards spontaneity, fun and the everyday reasons people use their phones.
“We know that for many people, especially younger audiences, fun and spontaneity too often take a back seat to the pressures of everyday life. Our network isn’t just about keeping people connected, it’s about giving them the confidence to say yes to the moments that make life memorable,” said Maria Koutsoudakis, Chief Brand Officer at VodafoneThree.
The campaign launched on 14 August and is currently running across the United Kingdom. The film was produced in 30- and 60-second versions for television and cinemas, while its distribution spans YouTube, Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, ITVX, Channel 4, Sky, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+. The activity is also still present on the brand’s official website, where the message Let fun in with Three accompanies its current range of devices and mobile plans.
The outdoor component has taken over the tunnel at Oxford Circus station, London buses and locations in other British cities. The brand’s recognisable logo changes shape according to the offer it represents: it becomes a piñata when referring to rewards in the Three+ app, while for roaming in more than 160 destinations it has been transformed into a pink inflatable lilo. The brand has also announced an activation in central London for the coming weeks, meaning Katarina’s costume is not intended as the campaign’s final joke, but as the first example of what Three will from now on mean by letting fun into everyday life.
The campaign was created by Tad Buxton and India Penny, while the film was directed by Lucy Forbes through Smuggler. Media planning and buying were handled by Carat.
