KPN, the Netherlands’ leading telecoms brand, has a longstanding commitment to social impact. In 2023, we created #BetterInternet, a platform dedicated to making the internet safer, more socially inclusive, more sustainable.
Telecoms is a saturated market. Differentiating on network quality isn’t easy, so brands risk differentiating on value alone. Instead, KPN chose to differentiate on values.
We knew from our research that 1 in 2 Dutch consumers were concerned about online safety. For our core family audience, that meant protecting their kids in an unknown world.
We needed to understand what online safety means to Generation Z.
We created a unique TikTok talkshow: a platform designed to generate authentic customer insight, engaging young people in expertly moderated conversations on topics from cyber-bulling to mental health.
These conversations identified online shaming as one of the biggest and most urgent issues facing teens online, and one where KPN could make a meaningful difference.
Our TikTok talkshow lifted the lid on a world of private pain.Online shaming left victims devastated, depressed, suicidal. Society blames the victims, so they fall silent..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. We often say our work sparked a conversation; in this case we realised that the conversation itself could be life-saving.
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.
We changed the conversation:
We changed behaviour:
We changed brand perceptions:
We changed the law:
Following its profound impact in the Netherlands, the song was rerecorded in English, set to the same powerful video, to spark a global conversation. It has traveled as far afield as Ecuador, Australia and India, helping vulnerable teens around the world, changing the narrative and ultimately behaviour.
