Wales’ highest mountain Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa is the star of a new advert from mobile company EE, alongside Welsh actor Tom Ellis.
The new advert, launching today [Friday], sees the actor, star of hit-series Lucifer, having his lockdown beard clean-shaven on the slopes of the mountain by a state-of-the-art robotic arm, remotely-controlled live over EE’s 4G network by a barber in London, 250 miles away.
The ad campaign is to highlight the high performance, speed and reliability of EE’s mobile network.
According to Ofcom, EE, part of BT Group, has the most extensive 4G coverage in Wales, further increasing its coverage in Wales last year by 1 percentage point to 83%. The operators with the least coverage in Wales (Vodafone and O2) both provide coverage to 72% of the geographic landmass.
EE announced earlier this year that it is expanding its 4G coverage in 76 locations across Wales by the end of 2021 to improve rural connectivity as part of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme across the UK.
In the advert, sitting in a barber’s chair at a vantage point on the Pyg Track at an altitude of 729 metres – beneath the summit of the mountain – the Welsh actor speaks by video call with Hollywood star and EE favourite Kevin Bacon who is alongside the barber in London.
As the barber is about to control the robotic arm, Ellis asks: “Kev, are you sure about this?” Kevin Bacon replies, “Relax, it’s all connected to the EE network”.
EE’s one-of-a-kind ‘Robot Barber’ arm features a fully mechanical, custom designed hand that grasps the razor blade and carefully mirrors in real-time the gestures of the barber. With accuracy to less than one-tenth of a millimetre, through the combination of EE’s award-winning network, real-time tracking and precise robotic control, Ellis is revealed clean-shaven for the first time in six years.
Sam Kemp, Products and Devices Technology Director at EE, said: “We’ve got 4G that covers 99% of the UK population and 5G in more places than any other network. But our job isn’t done. Our network opens a world of opportunity, enabling our customers to do more. That’s why it’s important that we’re first with new ideas, finding new and innovative ways to show the performance of our network live and for real.”
Kelly Engstrom, Brand & Demand Generation Communications Director at EE, said: “As the world begins to open up again, we want customers to feel inspired about what they can do when armed with the EE network. We shoot our campaigns live over our public network, to show what’s possible, no matter how extreme.”
Actor Tom Ellis said: “Getting shaved by a robotic barber is a pretty extreme way of showcasing the importance of a high-performing network, but I figured someone’s got to put their neck on the line.”
The advert launches tonight on ITV’s Coronation Street and will then feature on TV, YouTube, digital audio, podcasts, and across social media.
