This Christmas, O2 is giving away thousands of Priority experiences in the form of the classic gift of a festive pair of socks. The brand’s ‘Not a Sock Shop’ pop-up gives out free pairs of festive socks. Yet rather than being a traditional stocking filler each pair of socks equates to a shared experience available on Priority

The pop-up, created with the help of VCCP, was placed in Victoria Quarter, one of Leeds’ busiest shopping centres, to intercept shoppers during their Christmas shopping. Rather than purchase a generic gift for a loved one, O2 gives Priority members the chance to give a meaningful experience. 

“The idea was to surprise Priority members at the very moment they’re about to settle for a predictable Christmas gift, reminding customers that the best thing you can give is time spent together,” explained Lisa Johnstone, Director Priority, Loyalty and Rewards at Virgin Media O2.

The campaign builds on the insight from O2 that found 40% of people prefer experiences over physical gifts at Christmas.

The pop-up was open to all O2 and Virgin Media broadband customers. The shop was filled with socks featuring a bespoke pattern designed to reflect each Priority experience up for grabs. These experiences included Vue tickets, lastminute.com Gift Cards, Virgin Experience Days vouchers and gig tickets. 

The socks were illustrated by artist Jun Ioneda. His distinctive style and characterful simplicity brought the experiences to life through illustrated iconography that felt both festive and fashionable. 

“We loved the idea of taking the most boring and overdone Christmas gift - the humble pair of socks - and subverting it. By turning pairs of socks into pairs of tickets for unforgettable experiences, we gave them a twist that stops shoppers in their tracks. Jun Ioneda’s beautifully crafted designs helped us elevate the concept into something both charming and surprising, bringing the idea to life in a way that feels distinctly festive and distinctly O2,” added David Masterman, Executive Creative Director at VCCP.

Alongside the in-store activation, Priority members could experience the campaign nationwide in a digital activation in app. A game called ‘Not just socks’ created by VCCP’s digital experience agency Bernadette, gave customers the chance to win experiences by checking the ‘sock of the day’ and matching a pair to win prizes. 

The unique pop-up sees O2 give its customers the gift of experience this Christmas.