How OVO is using music venues to make energy efficiency engaging
For most energy companies, telling consumers to decarbonise their homes or install a smart meter is a branding challenge. These messages, though important, are heavy. They demand action, understanding, and in some cases, significant change. But OVO has found a way to make this messaging not only accessible but something fans will actually line up for.
At the heart of this strategy is OVO Live, the energy company’s rewards programme in music, which offers exclusive access to live events at major cultural venues, including Co-op Live, OVO Arena Wembley, the OVO Hydro, and The O2. These aren’t your typical corporate partnerships — and that’s the point.
“We’re a purpose-led business,” says James Watts, Head of Brand Sponsorship at OVO. Everything we do is about driving progress toward domestic decarbonisation and net zero. But in a low-interest category like energy, you have to ask: how do you drive deeper consumer understanding and engagement?”
OVO’s answer: music, entertainment, and shared experiences.
Making big topics feel fun
Climate change. Energy efficiency. Grid strain. For most people, these concepts are important but overwhelming. OVO knew it couldn’t just educate — it had to engage.
“These are quite heavy subject matters,” James explains. “People are busy. They’ve got pressures in their lives. Coming to them with messaging about decarbonisation can feel like a burden. But music has the power to connect. It opens the door to a different type of conversation.”
That’s where venues come in. Cultural arenas offer scale and shared emotional moments — two key elements that make them uniquely powerful platforms for brand messaging. “These are places where people come together for unforgettable experiences,” says James. “It gives us a moment of relevance.”
More than branding - It’s Behaviour Change
The real insight behind OVO’s strategy isn’t just about reach. It’s about creating behaviour change and rewarding people for it.
Through OVO Live, every customer can access benefits such as ticket presales and lounge entry. But those most committed to reducing their energy usage, known as ‘Beyond Customers’, unlock exclusive experiences. These customers might have a smart meter, use smart thermostats, or participate in trials like Power Move, which rewards users for shifting energy consumption away from peak times.
“It’s not points-based, but we can see which customers are genuinely engaged in the decarbonisation journey,” says James. “And those are the people we reward at a higher level.”
Turning purpose into performance
This isn’t just theoretical. In summer 2023, OVO invited Jessie Ware and Clara Amfo to host an intimate performance at OVO Arena Wembley, exclusively for Beyond Customers. But the brand didn’t stop there. The event was also used to produce content, including a light-hearted video of Ware and Amfo singing karaoke in an EV en route to the show, chatting about easy ways to reduce energy use at home.
“We created a whole suite of content,” says James. “It’s still our story — it’s still about behaviour change and better energy use, but it’s wrapped in something that people want to engage with. The response and engagement we got was fantastic.”
Why venues work
You might ask: why not sports stadiums or festivals? For OVO, it’s about consistent access to broad, mainstream audiences, and venues that offer just that.
“These arenas give us a really broad church,” says James. “You’ve got Disney on Ice, BBC Planet Earth Live, Lenny Kravitz, Ricky Gervais — comedy, family events, iconic music artists. It’s mass-market appeal, and they’re always on. They’re not tied to a sports season.”
Beyond consistency, OVO also looks for venue partners that share its values. “We’re not here to tell venues how to run greener,” James says. “They’re already on their own journey. We look for shared ambition. Co-op Live was designed to be the most sustainable arena in Europe. The Hydro was the first arena in the world to achieve green certification. It’s about partnership, not prescription.”
“For the Atmosphere”
The next evolution of this strategy is “For the Atmosphere” a brand platform for OVO Live that plays on the dual meaning of atmosphere: the magic of live events and the planet’s climate.
“We launched it at Co-op Live and we’re rolling it out across our venues,” says James. “It’s a way of using consumer language to link the experiences people love with the need to protect the world we live in.”
Creating meaningful brand engagements
Ultimately, OVO’s strategy demonstrates how even low-interest categories, such as energy, can foster emotional relevance and meaningful brand engagement. But it only works because the brand knows exactly what it wants from sponsorship.
“It’s not just about retention or acquisition,” says James. “It’s about storytelling, engagement, and helping people change their relationship with energy. We want to be useful, and if we can inspire those small changes through something joyful, like music, that’s a win for us —and for the planet.
Find out more about why brands are increasingly turning to venue sponsorship to engage in culture by reading our interviews with the sponsorship leaders of Aviva and AO below:
Aviva is using cultural sponsorship to reignite its brand and back the UK
How AO’s data-led approach is guiding the future of its sponsorship strategy
Author, Sean Connell, Editor.
