Everything Everywhere rebrand to EE begins to roll out

The company claim that 4G, which is switched on tomorrow, will offer consumers a network which is five times faster than 3G. However, their first to market advantage is only expected to last six months as other operators scramble to catch up.

This did not stop the company's chief of brands Steven Day from telling a conference organised by Wolff Olins that he believed the development will be game-changer for the mobile industry as a whole.

In fact he told the delegates, who had gathered to discuss how businesses might grow, that the quest for a new corporate identity was the catalyst for changes that have heralded in the 4G era.

Rebranding, he told the audience, "will focus and re-energise your organisations," in ways you will not believe. It will provide a "North Star movement to guide your customers and your people too".

But the whole process of the rebrand can also serve as a 'Trojan Horse' to encourage the organisation to reappraise its whole operation - and it was this sort of dynamic that encouraged EE of finding a way to introduce 4G before its competitors. As a result major competitors, who has once dismissed 4G, are now accelerating its introduction. EE's rebranding has 're-energised' the sector as a whole, claimed Day.

EE is the product of a merger between Orange and T-Mobile. At the conference, Day seemed to admit that the two heritage brands, while not being phased out, will be left to wither on the vine.

Customers will be encouraged to migrate to the new EE service. And those who insist on staying with Orange or T-Mobile will not be offered the 4G service.

He argued that the new brand gave the company license to move away from classic mobile services - reminding the market it also has a fibre-optic network for example. In addition, they are launching a lot of new services including a film club that will allow users to stream films straight to their mobile devices. "From day one we will be able to compete with Love Film," he said.

Day also revealed how the new campaigns will be rolled out over the next few days. A new EE shop will be opened in London, which will be the first of 700 stores that will be rebranded in a new livery and refitted to reflect a new ethos.

The 'shiny suit' brigade will be banished, and instead a more welcoming and informal environment will be created, supported by the re-training of 10,000 support staff.

Meanwhile advertising that aims to bring the new EE identity to life will roll out - animating the dots which already make up the new typeface to give a 'visual representation' of what the new service is all about.

This will be supported by a range of commercials and virals designed to demonstrate that the world is a better place with 4G. For example part of the campaign will enhance famous YouTube films - to make the point that YouTube is better with 4G.

One commercial was based on a famous clip of a men whose dog, Fenton, changed the deer in a Richmond Park. However, in the 'enhanced film’ the dog not only causes deer to stampede but elephants and dinosaurs too.

The organisers asked The Drum not to screen their version before its launched but it seems to be inspired by another Jurassic Park-based YouTube spoof of the incident.

Meanwhile EE is aware that 4G won't remain original for too long either. "Others will have 4G next year. We know there is a danger of just being known as the 4G brand when they do. There will have to be a focus on what is next."