KPN is the Netherland’s leading telecoms brand; creator of the country’s first public telephone

network over 100 years ago.

In 2023 we created the #betterinternet platform. A commitment to make the internet safer, more

sustainable and more socially inclusive for all. 

Safer: Protecting both businesses and individuals online.  

More Sustainable: Striving for a greener future through energy efficiency and circularity. 

More Socially Inclusive: Reducing the digital divide by promoting social and digital inclusion.  

We wanted to engage Dutch consumers with the idea of a #betterinternet in a unique and modern

way. 

Our objectives were to raise awareness and build brand equity in a crowded and commoditised

market, where new entrants were beginning to look fresher and more progressive. 

As well as making a meaningful difference to how our millions of customers lived their lives online.

We partnered with MEAU, one of the biggest singers in the Netherlands to spark this vitally important conversation and create a powerful cultural moment. MEAU called on her fanbase, inviting them to share their experiences of online shaming.

Through a sensitive process of co-creation, conversation and collaboration, a groundbreaking and heart-wrenching piece of music emerged. Raising online shaming into the spotlight of popular culture.

MEAU created a song, every lyric informed by real stories shared by her young fanbase. Together, we crafted a music video which brought the horrifying consequences of forwarding intimate messages to life and made our message crystal clear.

The issue isn’t sexting. The issue is deciding to forward intimate images without consent, violating a partner’s trust and exposing them to devastating consequences. It can, quite literally, be a matter of life and death.

Our TikTok talkshow lifted the lid on a world of private pain.

Online shaming left victims devastated, depressed, suicidal. 

“It was as if my world had collapsed”.

Society blames the victims, so they fall silent.

Silence and shame are powerful weapons.

We saw an opportunity to turn them on their head.

There’s nothing shameful about sexting.

What’s shameful is sharing intimate content without consent.

Rather than blame the victim, we would put blame where it belongs:

on those who forward without thinking.

Online shaming is a problem that thrives deep in internet culture.

We needed to raise it to the surface. Encouraging victims, friends, parents and teachers to talk about the problem.

Because the minute they started to talk, we saw the burden of silence and shame start to shift.

We often say our work sparked a conversation; in this case we realised that the conversation itself could be life-saving. 

“A Piece of Me” told a chilling story with integrity and authenticity.

We started in the real world. Meau interviewed victims of online shaming whose stories inspired her.

Every aspect of the campaign started with Meau’s community, plus a network of 20 influencers deeply invested in the issue.

We cast first-time actors via TikTok and Instagram, so everyone could see themselves, friends, the nice kid next door in the story….

We launched like a music release, not a conventional media plan. The track premiered on MEAU’s social channels, direct to the fans who inspired it. We further promoted through radio, live performances, and interviews.

Four days after release, branded cutdowns appeared in cinemas, TV and online and KPN aired a mini-documentary featuring MEAU’s interviews with victims.

Following its profound impact in the Netherlands, the song was rerecorded in English, set to the same powerful video, to spark a global conversation.

“A Piece of Me” created a powerful cultural movement, achieving extraordinary scale in a country of only 17.7m people.

A gold record

+10M streams

No.2 trending video on YouTube

500+ covers

28M organic views

202M PR impressions

We changed the conversation:

+183% uplift in conversations on online shaming, focused on thinking before you forward

Hundreds of schools added our content to the curriculum

We changed behaviour:

Charity partners saw average traffic uplifts of +119%

We changed brand perceptions:

Brand consideration +9%

Associations with online safety +19%

Trust +16%

“A brand that creates societal impact” + 16%

We changed the law:

On March 19th the Dutch Sexual Crimes Act was passed, making it illegal to share intimate content without consent.

But we’re just getting started. The video has travelled as far afield as Ecuador, Australia and India. The English language release in April will help our story travel still further.