We partnered with Virgin Media 02 and environmental charity Hubbub to support the national rollout of their Community Calling Campaign – an initiative encouraging the public to safely back up and donate their smartphones, giving unused devices a second life with people facing digital exclusion. The brief called for a spokesperson who understood, on a deeply personal level, the emotional weight our photos hold.
We secured Kelsey Parker, whose lived experience and heartfelt advocacy made her a thoughtful and authentic voice for this campaign. With so many adults holding onto old phones because of sentimental memories, Kelsey was able to speak honestly about why photos matter – and why preserving them properly ensures they’re never lost.
The partnership involved a broadcast day and a press shoot, including a moving interview on Lorraine, where Kelsey shared how powerful printed memories can be. Having lost her husband Tom, she has often spoken about the comfort that photos bring and how important it is to protect them. Her involvement highlighted the campaign’s core message: our phones may get old, but the memories don’t have to be.
Virgin Media 02’s research revealed that 123 million unused devices are gathering dust in UK drawers, storing more than 11 billion photos – images that many people want to keep safe but don’t always know how to back up. To help, the brand offered a free CEWE photobook to the first 500 people who donated a working smartphone to Community Calling, encouraging the public to turn digital memories into something tangible before passing on their device.
Kelsey shared her own experience of creating a photobook filled with moments from her pregnancy – memories that have become even more meaningful. By opening up about the emotional value of preserving these snapshots, she helped audiences connect deeply with the campaign’s purpose: you can hold onto your memories while allowing your old phone to help someone else stay connected.
Thanks to Kelsey’s compassion and relatability, the campaign resonated widely, amplifying awareness of Community Calling – which has already rehomed more than 24,000 devices with people who need them most, from individuals experiencing homelessness to women fleeing domestic abuse.
To book Kelsey Parker for your next campaign, please contact us at letstalk@celebritysauceco.com
