
Virgin Media has paid tribute to the housebound British public with a morale-boosting film, in light of disruption caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Created by Adam & Eve/DDB and set to Keep Your Head Up by Ben Howard, "Stay home, stay safe, stay connected" documents how people across Britain are keeping positive during the lockdown, from a care home in south Wales playing Hungry Hippos to a couple recreating their cancelled cruise holiday in their living room.
The ad also features nods to the NHS-praising initiative #ClapForOurCarers (which was also acknowledged by Channel 4 in an ad break takeover) and ends as a collection of families keep in touch with each other via webcam. Media is handled by Manning Gottlieb OMD.
Yesterday (Tuesday), Facebook released a similar film spot highlighting the role of human connectivity amid lockdowns across the globe.
In spite of Virgin Media's positive portrayal of webcams, the growth in the number of people using them has put some companies under scrutiny. After facing hacking accusations, Houseparty offered a bounty of $1m for anyone who could provide evidence of a "paid commercial smear campaign" to harm the brand. Zoom has faced a similar wave of privacy concerns.