Images highlight important role of tech in connecting the players to the fans during 2021 Tour, the most connected yet
LONDON, July 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vodafone, Lead Partner of the British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa, has released powerful images of ambassadors, Maro Itoje and first-time Lions Hamish Watson and Louis Rees-Zammit, ahead of the first match of the Tour against the Emirates Lions in South Africa tomorrow, Saturday 3rd July.
The images see emotive and personal social media messages of support from Lions fans projected onto each of the star rugby players who have all been named in tomorrow's starting line-up.
Vodafone and the British and Irish Lions are brands united by a shared commitment to connect people to each other and the things they love. The new imagery is a powerful demonstration of how Vodafone is bringing fans closer to the 2021 Tour and the squad than ever before through its digital-first campaign.
The messages of encouragement from fans have been released to help to motivate players - letting them know that the four nations are behind them on Tour, despite fans being unable to travel to South Africa this Summer. The imagery shows how the power of the connectivity can bring players and fans together, which is more important than ever with no travelling fans.
Max Taylor, Consumer Director at Vodafone UK, said: "We are excited to be able to give Lions fans and players an opportunity to unite and connect ahead of the upcoming Tour. This is more important now than it has ever been. We hope these messages will show the players that even though British & Irish Lions fans can't be there, they're still very much cheering them on".
Maro Itoje said: "Fans are such an important part of any sport and one of the biggest, if not the biggest, reason why most of us play. With no fans there is an evident missing piece. It's incredible seeing how much support we have as a team and it is a huge boost for the whole squad."
Hamish Watson said: "Being able to receive these incredible fan messages has been a great boost. It has spurred me and the team on even more to do them proud. We love to the see the messages so please keep the support coming while we are on tour."
Louis Rees-Zammit said: "It's been a tough year not being able to connect with fans physically. So, we are grateful for the power of technology and social media that has allowed us to stay connected and motivate us for this upcoming tour. This is my first Lions Tour and the support so far has been overwhelming."
Maro Itoje, Hamish Watson and Louis Rees-Zammit are official Vodafone ambassadors for the 2021 British & Irish Lions Tour. Download the official Lions app, powered by Vodafone.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1556339/Maro_Itoje.jpg
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1556337/Hamish_Watsonur.jpg
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1556338/Louis_Rees_Zammit.jpg
