BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE WITH VODAFONE

Did you know millions of people in the UK have limited or no access to digital connectivity? So they can’t do everyday tasks like booking a doctor’s appointment, finishing homework or paying bills? And did you know that the cost of living crisis means an additional one million families are at risk of falling into that black hole?

No? You’re not alone: our research for Vodafone shows that half of us aren’t aware of the extent of the digital divide.

And that’s why we’ve teamed up with world-renowned photographer Rankin to launch a series of images which showcase the real stories behind digital disconnection today.

When Vodafone challenged us to raise awareness of its ongoing everyone.connected campaign, which donates connectivity to those living in need, we knew we had to connect with people emotionally, to cut through the lack of awareness. We needed a visual cue which celebrated the fact that the campaign had passed its one million connectivity milestone.

So Rankin’s ‘Faces of Disconnection’ images feature a range of British people who’ve found themselves on the wrong side of the digital gap, from the family choosing between food, heating, or connectivity, to the older man daunted by the online world, to the woman whose abusive partner broke her phone.  We made sure the images each illustrate the leading social issues that benefit from Vodafone’s everyone.connected, to highlight the breadth of the programme. And we also ensured they’re royalty-free, to help increase visibility and encourage the media, advertising, and industry bodies to accurately represent the real stories behind the statistics.  

We’re launching the 33 images to the media at a pop-up digital gallery in London from today. To make sure the story travels even further, we’ve also commissioned research which explores how the great British digital divide is misrepresented in the media and on search engines.

Check out Rankin’s brilliant Faces of Disconnection images here.