Situation:

The aftermath of COVID-19 and ongoing conflict in Ukraine have led to a rapid rise in the cost of living, making basic necessities increasingly challenging to afford.

Young individuals, particularly Generation Z, are facing significant financial burdens as they transition into the workforce and become independent from their parents.

Brief:

Telekom needs to stay relevant and viable among Gen Z, the largest consumer base and economic force to be reckoned with.

Building a lasting relationship with this audience is crucial to solidify Telekom's market position and inspire loyalty for the brand.

Objectives:

Address the challenges faced by young people in 2023, including those related to the economy, environment, education policies, and society in general.

Provide opportunities for young people to experience the joy of youth and music through various projects across Europe.

Utilize Gen Z's media habits and digital communication to reach and engage with the target audience.

Deutsche Telekom recognized that modern life is stopping young people from having the joyful, fun, and carefree experiences traditionally granted to them. Therefore, we created the campaign designed to take the burden away from Gen Z and encourage them to just be young again.

As Telekom believes that experiencing the joy of youth is a universal right, and music is an essential element of youth culture, the group invited young people to take part in an extensive series of music events across Europe, helping them to connect to unique and varied experiences designed especially for them.

Drawing inspiration from the quote "I am youth, I am joy, I am freedom" from James M Barrie's Peter Pan novels it reimagines the classic story of youth for a new generation.

Believing that experiencing the joy of youth is a universal right and music being an essential element of youth culture, Telekom gave young people what they needed the most, a break - a whole Summer of Joy, Youth and Freedom, and invited them to participate in various music projects throughout Europe and experience what is most beautiful in youth.

In media terms we adopted Gen Z’s media habits, placing emphasis on digital environment for communication and focusing on short video formats. The digitally-led campaign was created by Gen Z creators for Gen Z consumers.

A personal connection with target audience was created through collaborations with local artists and influencers across 10 markets, inviting their followers to join the experience, participate in ruffles to win ticket and celebrate the energy of youth through personalized content showcasing what they love about the city they live in.

Implementation:

Telekom offered young people a Summer of Joy, Youth and Freedom through various music projects across Europe - summer parties and activations, providing thousands of free nights out for young people. Participants could attend intimate pop-up events as part of Electronic Beats or win tickets to unique festivals throughout Europe.

The campaign adopted Gen Z's media habits, focusing on digital communication and short video formats. A personal connection was created through collaborations with local artists and influencers, inviting their followers to join the experience, participate in ruffles and celebrate the energy of youth through personalized content showcasing what they love about the city they live in.

Timeline:

The campaign ran from 01.06.2022- 31.08.2022

Placement:

The campaign focused on digital channels: Instagram & TikTok

Scale:

The campaign was implemented across multiple countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovakia

Campaign exposure led to positive impact on Ad Awareness, Brand Favourability and Consideration. The Message Association KPI indicates potential to grow with continuous communication to stick to the consumer's mind.

Kantar results proved that the success went far beyond industry standards with uplifts on most KPIs (Ad Awareness, Favourability & Consideration):

• Ad awareness: 12%+ (vs. 5,5% benchmark*)

• Brand favourability: 11% (vs. 1,8% BM)

• Brand consideration: 19% (vs. 1,2% BM)

• Message association: 23% (vs. 2,0% BM)

In terms of media effects, contextual link to Gen Z’s needs yielded great success:

4.376.442 Impressions

352.483 Engagements

9,86% Engagement Rate ( TikTok + IG Reels )