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AssetID: 41586600

Headline: 15ft High Ice Cream Van Serves Free Ice Cream For Londoners

Caption: Monday’s long-awaited Freedom Day announcement has triggered a carpe diem attitude with 61% of Brits wanting to throw caution to the wind and just ‘say yes’. New research reveals that 31 year olds are more than a third as likely to feel spontaneous compared with those aged 51, while only 21% of 26 year olds have admitted to wanting to seize the day since the pandemic. As a summer of staycations await the nation, Virgin Red data indicates that redemptions on flights and holidays have remained steady whilst domestic bookings for experiences bookable with Virgin Red have surged by 80%, with theatre trips, cinema outings and concert tickets being snapped up by people eager to enjoy new-found freedoms. Just a few days after Virgin’s founder reached new heights when he travelled to space and experienced zero gravity first hand, the nation has also been finding new ways to blow their bubble and find their inner explorer with almost a third of people (28%) more likely to say yes to a new adventure compared with before the pandemic. The top thrill-seeking activities for July are: Feeding penguins Hot air balloon rides Helicopter tours Trekking with llamas Parachute jumps Virgin Red findings have also revealed that Wednesday 7 July saw the highest reward spend transactions in more than a month – at 136% above the daily average transactions – with Greggs, Virgin Wines, Virgin Experience Days and cinema tickets amongst the top products members were splashing out on. To mark the sense of freedom, Virgin Red is serving up its own buoyant display, as a never-seen-before floating ice cream van taking flight at Observation Point, whipping up free cones with a spectacular van 15ft in the sky, elevated by red balloons. The ‘ice cream float’ will be serving up Mr Whippy all day with an extraordinary selection of red toppings, from traditional sprinkles to chilli flakes, with visitors invited to create an ice cream truly unique to them. What's more, the 99 Red Balloons truck will be giving away 99 Virgin Points prizes. With one lucky ice cream lover able to scoop one million Virgin Points giving the winner a year’s worth of fabulous rewards* from the club’s one hundred and fifty rewards on offer. Kelly Best, Virgin Red’s Chief Marketing Officer, says: “The Freedom Day announcement signals the long-awaited release for those who want to live life to the fullest and great days out in the UK are what we’re all excited to enjoy this summer. “We know 51% of the nation still believe the cost of experiences hold them back from treating themselves, which is why we have seen our members looking to treat themselves with rewards from Virgin Red. The 99 Red Balloon van hopes to elevate that feeling, offering a surprising spectacle that encourages people to try new things and make the most of life for free.” Unlike other loyalty programmes, Virgin Red isn’t about having a mountain of points either and the rewards come in all shapes and sizes from the small things that make the everyday better like a sausage roll from as little as 200 points or cinema tickets, to bigger extraordinary experiences like Spaceport tours – Virgin Galactic’s home in New Mexico – or watching Elton John live from the exclusive Virgin Red Room at Manchester’s AO Arena. Virgin Red has made it super easy to earn points too, in just two clicks, members can be earning points on their everyday spending with the likes of John Lewis & Partners, Marks & Spencer, ASOS or Domino’s Pizza, which has already made up around 80% of all earn transactions on Virgin Red. Members who switch their energy provider to Octopus Energy will receive an awesome 7,400 points and switching to the Virgin Money Current Account will give them a bonus of 15,000 points – almost a return reward flight from London to New York City (taxes, fees and carrier imposed surcharges apply) with Virgin Atlantic. To become a Virgin Red member, head over to https://www.virgin.com/virgin-red or download the Virgin Red app on your smartphone.

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