This year will see Virgin Money reinvent and reinvigorate both the brand and the banking experience it offers customers in the UK. Today the company announces new partnerships with two of the world’s most iconic music venues: The O2 in London and The SSE Hydro in Glasgow. This marks the beginning of a new direction in sponsorship for Virgin Money as part of the repositioning of the brand in the UK.
With music integral to Virgin’s DNA, Virgin Money is going back to its roots, bringing music and money together in a way that only Virgin Money can. Supported by a ‘Brighter Music Moments’ campaign, which will focus on creating a platform that showcases the transformative power of music, the music sponsorship will enable Virgin Money to create unique experiences, unforgettable events and exciting music content for its customers and the UK public.
Virgin Money’s commitment to music goes beyond The 02 and The SSE Hydro. As part of its wider ambition to disrupt the status quo, Virgin Money is reimagining the role of the bank branch on the UK high street – and music will play a major part in this. Flagship Virgin Money stores will be ‘bank by day, music venue by night’, including co-working spaces, events throughout the year and content-creation studios.
As part of a long-term and deep commitment to music, Virgin Money is teaming up with some key figures from the UK music industry to plan a series of ground-breaking initiatives that will identify, support and amplify the best British music of tomorrow, unlocking greater opportunities for creative talent to reach new heights. Virgin Money will work with emerging talent, providing funding and financial advice, performance opportunities and a platform to share their work in new and exciting ways. The business will be making further announcements on the launch of this initiative in the coming weeks.
Helen Page, Group Brand and Marketing Director at Virgin Money says:
“Music is the soundtrack to our lives, and we want our customers to feel truly rewarded by their bank and experience something that only Virgin Money can offer in an authentic way. This is the beginning of a journey we’re on to tap into the Virgin DNA, going back to our roots, but in a way that is befitting of the new decade.
“Through our partnerships with The O2 and The SSE Hydro, we want to bring customers closer to the music they love. Whether it’s through discovering new talent, creating memories at gigs with friends and family, or accelerating the pathway for people to develop careers in music, Virgin Money is committed to investing in British music. We hope to redefine the role of sponsorship to drive a much deeper customer experience.”
Nathan Kosky, Vice President of AEG Global Partnerships says:
“We strive to provide unparalleled experiences for millions of fans that attend shows at The O2 and The SSE Hydro each year, so we’re thrilled to partner with Virgin Money on its exciting music programme and to give their customers more opportunities to experience unforgettable moments through music.”
Ross Easton, Head of Commercial at the Scottish Event Campus says:
“We are really excited to announce our partnership with Virgin Money – a brand that shares similar values and has the same commitment to provide the very best journey for our customers. To be aligned with such a forward thinking and well-known brand reflects the level of interest that The SSE Hydro is attracting in securing such prestigious partners.”
For more information please contact Laura Higgins at laura.higgins@cybg.com, +447483 333 699 or Emma Denley at emma.denley@caa.com, +447515 643 253
Follow Virgin Money on Twitter to stay up to date with future announcements www.twitter.com/virginmoney
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About Virgin Money
Virgin Money is the new disruptive force in UK banking. Bringing together the combined history and expertise of Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank and Virgin Money, we are the only bank outside the ‘Big 5’ that boasts a genuine full-service personal and business banking capability. We serve 6.6 million customers across the UK through a digital-first approach that offers leading online and mobile services, supported by telephone and branch banking, including a national network of branches and business banking centres.
We are structured around three divisions – personal, mortgages and business – offering a full range of products and services for consumers and small and medium sized businesses, delivered through our leading technology platform to deliver a consistently world class experience for customers.
Our ambition is clear – to make Virgin Money a new force in consumer and business banking that will disrupt the status quo.
About AEG Global Partnerships
AEG Global Partnerships oversees the worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships for AEG’s entire portfolio of assets. Creating customised and innovative marketing programs for established and emerging brands it has created some of the most iconic brand partnerships in the entertainment industry, including The Staples Centre in L.A., The O2 in London and Coachella Music Festival. Overall the division manages naming rights deals, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 100 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com
About SSE Hydro
The SSE Hydro is the second largest purpose-built entertainment venue in Scotland. The SSE Hydro plays host to national and international artists as well as global entertainment and sporting events. With a capacity of 14,300, The SSE Hydro augments the SEC’s existing facilities and stages 140+ events annually.
Attracting an audience of more than a million visitors each year, the venue is consistently ranked by Pollstar in the top 10 arenas globally, alongside iconic venues like The O2 and sits at number 1 on Billboard’s list.
Since opening in September 2013, The SSE Hydro has staged hundreds of events – from Celine Dion and Prince to Metallica and Beyonce. It was also the venue for the MTV Europe Music Awards, the Ryder Cup Gala Concert, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The venue is partnered with SSE, Virgin Money, Vodafone, Eden Mill, Heineken, Capital FM, Park’s Motor Group, Irn Bru, Bacardi, and Nordoff Robbins Scotland.