Objective

The objective of the Proton VPN "Stream Home Anywhere" campaign was to increase prompted brand awareness for Proton VPN among our UK target segment of tech enthusiasts by reframing the use case of a VPN with an emotionally resonant benefit, anchored in streaming, our audience’s #1 interest.

Rather than leading with abstract or fear-based messaging common in the VPN category, the campaign aimed to show how the benefits of a VPN can translate into real life: the freedom to stream the content you love from anywhere in the world. By connecting our VPN to a relatable, tangible use case, we sought to make Proton VPN’s value relevant and memorable.

London was selected as the ideal test market not only because of its size but also due to its 3.6 million expat population. By winning over this target segment (highly influential users who actively give and receive recommendations) the campaign sought to drive top-of-funnel growth, deliver a lift in prompted brand awareness and spark organic buzz.

Strategy

Our project began with user research and message testing, which revealed a key insight: accessing content is the most tangible, relatable entry point to our brand in the UK. For users, streaming their favorite TV shows, movies and sports was a real-life problem Proton VPN could solve.

We partnered with Uncommon Creative Studio, based in London, to transform these insights into a creative campaign spanning OOH, digital, and an in-person activation.

• Our first challenge was choosing which content-streaming angle to pursue. Options included travelers wanting access to home content and niche show enthusiasts seeking exclusive international content.
• Ultimately, we focused on immigrant and expat communities in London, a highly concentrated segment of our target audience. This route offered the strongest emotional resonance: the freedom to stream content from home and reconnect with familiar feelings.

From this insight, we developed the campaign idea: “Stream Home Anywhere.” The concept tapped into homesickness and the comfort that content from home can provide, translating a functional product benefit into a deeply human story.

• Visually, we stood apart with hand-drawn illustrations with a human touch, breaking from the VPN category’s usual technical or fear-based messaging.
• Each illustration captured specific moments in a person’s streaming journey, highlighting immigrant communities such as Portuguese and Indian diasporas in London.
• In addition to OOH, we translated our concept into animated paid social content for Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and also Display, extending reach and engagement in London across a wide array of channels.
• This also included expanding our content into audio with podcast ads on Acast ad networks and host-read placements, in addition to tapping into our network of content creators to tell us their own stories.

The campaign culminated in a real-world activation: the world’s first VPN Blanket, created with streetwear brand Aries.

• Designed by Aries founder Sofia Prantera and made in Italy, the blanket emotionally resonated with expats and students missing home.
• An embedded NFC tag gave recipients one free month of Proton VPN Plus, letting them access the content they longed for across 120+ countries (with just a tap of their mobile phone).
• The blanket was distributed at the Aries flagship London store to students, a group 82% of whom have experienced homesickness, reinforcing the emotional power of our message.
• In the lead up to the in-store event, we ran a mini-campaign to generate buzz and excitement with students with GenZ lifestyle creators in London.

By combining digital product, cultural relevance, and emotional storytelling, the campaign connected tech, fashion, and human experience in a natural, memorable way. “Stream Home Anywhere” brought Proton VPN to life, turning a functional service into a relevant, tangible tool that celebrated the freedom to connect to what brings you joy, anywhere in the world.

Results

The primary objective of the campaign was to achieve a statistically significant lift in prompted brand awareness in London.

• To measure this, we conducted a pre-campaign survey to establish a baseline, followed by a post-campaign survey after the four-week run.
• The results showed a statistically significant increase in awareness of Proton VPN among the London target audience.

We view this as a strong success for several reasons.

• First, ad recall was high, meaning people not only saw the campaign but also remembered the brand when prompted.
• Second, additional questions in the survey demonstrated that our target audience clearly understood the campaign message, confirming that the creative resonated and communicated our key insight effectively.

The campaign also had a notable impact on brand perception.

• Post-campaign, 67% of respondents described Proton VPN as “cool and fun”, showing that our approach not only increased awareness but associated our brand with traits that set us apart from competitors.
• This validated our strategy of combining functional benefits with emotionally engaging storytelling, positioning Proton VPN as approachable, relatable, and culturally relevant, rather than purely technical or fear-based.

Finally, with our VPN blanket, we were able to get almost 200 students to come to our blanket drop at the Aries store, following our digital activation with lifestyle creators.

Overall, the campaign successfully met its objective: it boosted awareness, reinforced understanding of our value proposition, and strengthened positive perceptions of the brand in a meaningful, measurable way.

Media