ABOUT

BACKGROUND

2023 was the year AI tools became easy to use for everyone, raising a lot of concerns about the safety of the data we share in social media.

Yet, parents still share their kids' data on social media, unaware of potential consequences on their future: identity theft, scamming, harassment, deepfake pornography and child sexual abuse material.

As Europe’s leading telco brand, Deutsche Telekom’s ambition is to connect everyone to the opportunities of the digital world. But with the privacy of a whole generation at risk, Deutsche Telekom wanted to build on its legacy and step up to protect children against the recent arising threats.

The brief: Develop a PR-led campaign that brings awareness to the digital threat of online sharing, inspires behavioral change, and strengthens the brand’s perception as a protective force for the digital society.

IDEA

Using the latest Al technology on a single photograph, we created the virtually aged version of a 9-year-old girl: Ella. In our film, she confronts her parents – and by extension parents worldwide – with the consequences of sharing kids' data online, sending a gut-wrenching warning from the future.

This way, our film became both a literal demonstration of AI manipulation capabilities and an emotional plea for the online safety of all children. As part of the campaign, we also created a solution to the problem: a social media filter pixelating children’s faces, empowering parents to #ShareWithCare and protect their children’s privacy.

OUTCOME

Ella’s message became a viral hit. Reaching over 51 million views and 3.7 billion earned impressions in 71 countries. Over 400+ media outlets picked up Ella’s message.

The strategy of using highly-emotional storytelling payed of – as seen in a 64 % view-though-rate (Benchmark: 10 %).

The film sparked the public’s demand for children’s online privacy – indicated by a 1000% increase in google searches for “sharenting” and over 184.000 visits to the German campaign landing page since its launch on 3rd of July 2023.

62 % of non-customer parents affirmed that Telekom’s data safety and virtual privacy commitment will make them consider the company as a telecommunications provider in the future.

Ella’s message is now an educational tool used by European police agencies, such as the Scotland police and the state polices across Germany.