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Content Highlight of the Week: Vodafone's First Flight

09/05/14

This week's highlight actually came out last month, so we may be slow but at least we're…OK, we're just slow, but this is so wonderful we hope you'll excuse our tardiness. 

We want to share it – and we've no doubt that compulsion isn't exclusive to us. Vodafone's Firsts content and social media strand works off the insight that mobile technology allows lots of people to do things for the first time, and when anyone does anything special for the first time, the first thing they do next is tell someone or share an image via their mobile or tablet. The notion of first-time experiences is such an immensely rich seam to mine for emotive, human stories, and in this tale of first-time flyers Vodafone have unearthed and cut a content diamond. It's an endearing and amusing short film about two very different Dutch grannies and their debut flight. It's beautifully produced, allowing enough time to develop the characters whilst still keeping the pace swift. And the product placement is pretty flawless too. During and after the trip the women are seen taking photos and connecting with loved ones on Vodafone's unaxone tablet - a product aimed at older customers.  It all feels totally natural. (Of course you'd take a photo on your first flight – my family even took photos of the departure lounge at Gatwick. #theglamourofflight.) And Vodafone has successfully resisted the temptation to wedge in any further product info or explanation around those scenes. That in itself makes them worthy of an inaugural Client Self-Restraint Award (™).

The whole things succeeds so well in drawing you in to the story, making you warm to the characters as if they were old friends or members of your family. And not a little of that warmth rubs off on Vodafone too. Appropriately enough, An and Ria's First Flight is the most uplifting thing we've seen this year.