O2 sought to address rugby’s gender gap by leveraging its longstanding partnership with the RFU, making a historic commitment to equally fund the England men’s and women’s teams. To stand out in a highly regulated telco market and meet the expectations of socially conscious Millennials and Gen Z, O2 launched a four-year strategy to close rugby’s gender awareness gap, with the Red Roses at its core. In 2022, O2 partnered with the Women’s Sport Trust to measure progress and introduced a wearable report collection in collaboration with Red Roses player Ellie Kildunne’s brand 5022, targeting Gen Z’s passion for fashion.
The campaign combined PR, paid talent, and influencer seeding to maximize engagement, reaching 3.1 million followers across social platforms. The results were significant, driving a decline in the gender awareness gap from 25% in 2023 to 7% at campaign peak, recruiting new fans, and increasing brand attractiveness. With over 177 pieces of coverage and the highest ever response to a women’s rugby initiative, polling showed 76% of participants felt O2 had a positive impact on women’s rugby, and 19% expressed increased interest in attending a match. This creative activation helped O2 advance gender parity in rugby and increased engagement with key audiences.
