O2

When in 2001 BT Wireless decided to de-merge the mobile networks it owned, a new brand was required for the five stand-alone businesses.

O2 was that brand, and it was revealed to the world on 02 02 02. From there, and with mounting enthusiasm, the local businesses shed their old names and rebranded to O2. When asked how such poorly regarded brands as Cellnet could be transformed into the more admired mobile brand in the UK, those of us at the centre of it all pointed to the culture change at the heart of the transformation, under the leadership of Peter Erskine.

For us, O2 was a story about a symbol of change across 15,000 people, not merely a change of symbol. Arsenal winning the English double and England winning the rugby world cup, both as O2 sponsored teams, sealed a great first year. The brand was subsequently sold to Telefonica for £18 billion.