Even if we’re more connected than ever, people are feeling lonelier today than at any point in history. Young people bear the brunt of the loneliness epidemic with the Cigna U.S. Loneliness Index identifying Gen Z as the most lonely generation in history. The uncomfortable truth is there are many platforms for superficial socializing but few that unlock the sense of genuine connection we crave.

Messenger has long been seen as an extension to Facebook and irrelevant to younger audiences social lives. While the platform is used by billions, these perceptual barriers left the brand lacking in spirit. To give Messenger a soul and showcase our vision for the future, Messenger rebranded under “That Close,” celebrating our belief that sharing life’s experiences brings us closer together even when we’re apart. These moments, even the small ones, forge enduring bonds and create greater feelings of acceptance, validation, and respect.

A late night at work, a breakup, a breakdown, a line at the nail salon that’s taking way too long. When you’re young, every one of life’s knocks and bruises feels more titanic than the last. Sometimes the only thing you can do is belt out an iconic breakup anthem at the top of your lungs. “Imperfect Harmony” finds three young friends doing just that, powering through freshly-minted Grammy Award winner Olivia Rodrigo’s venomous “good4u” in the face of problems large and small. Acting as a showcase for Messenger’s Watch Together feature, the film shows how close friendships give us the confidence to be our real selves.

Our aim was to reach a new audience of 18-24 year olds that already uses Messenger, but doesn't connect with the brand,

and create awareness that Messenger is now a place to hang out with their closest friends online just like in real life. Even though young adults have access to Messenger, most of them didn’t know about features like Watch Together which provides access to an entire library of premium music videos and takes Messenger beyond text-based chat.

Recognising our audience’s passion for music, we focused on one of today’s hottest artists. Olivia Rodrigo’s “good4u” provides the soundtrack for three friends caught in crisis. To show the seamlessness of the product experience, we filmed all of our leads belting the track from different locations without losing the energy they’d have if together in person. Relying on seamless editing, our spot leans into the anthemic energy of the track, transitioning between locations before coming to an abrupt (and suitably awkward) close. This ad ran on Pandora, YouTube, Hulu, NBCUniversal and more.

Imperfect Harmony delivered over 230M off-site digital impressions and showed strong engagement with a video completion rate of 81% (source: Google Campaign Manager)

Our campaign overall, was successful in achieving sentiment lifts to perceived brand value, measured by Feel Closer (+2.4pts) and Shared Experience (+2.3pts).