2degrees teaches kids and parents, the good and bad ‘tings’ about first phones in new programme and campaign via TBWA\New Zealand
When your phone goes ‘ting’, is it a good ting or a bad ting? Adults with years’ worth of mobile phone experience behind them still find it hard to know the difference, so children getting their first phone don’t have a chance.
TBWA\New Zealand and 2degrees, have launched an important new programme designed to provide children and parents with the tools and resources to understand the risks and rewards that come with owning a phone and going online.
Ten key things, or tings, were identified as essential learning for first phone owners and used as the basis of the programme. These ‘tings’ have been translated into a specially designed unboxing experience for kids and parents that’s available for free at 2degrees. Created to fit around new and old phones, each layer of the box is a new lesson on phone safety, ending with an agreement for kids and parents to support each other as they navigate changes in phone usage in the future.
Says Dave Pearce, GM of marketing at 2degrees: “As a major telco, and the telco known for fighting for fairness in New Zealand, we recognised we have both a responsibility and a great opportunity to help parents and children have conversations about being safe online. I’m also a dad with kids moving into First Phones territory, so it was also an issue we were navigating at home.
“We wanted to create a programme that was easily accessible and engaging. We wanted to speak to kids on their own terms and be part of the exciting moment when a kid is handed their first phone, whether it’s new or a hand-me-down phone.”
The ten ‘tings’ were also taken by renowned UK grime artist, Scrufizzer, in a specially written grime track promoting the ‘Good Tings and Bad Tings’ about phones and online safety. Titled ‘Good Tings’, it has already been listened to over 30,000 times globally, played live on radio station BBC 1 Xtra and shared by prominent DJs including Young Franco.
Says Shane Bradnick, chief creative officer, TBWA\New Zealand: “Grime is an artform that’s all about speaking the truth and is a genre that’s gaining more and more attention in New Zealand. It’s the cultural language of youth, which is why we chose to use it to spread our First Phones message to the next generation of Kiwi phone owners.
“We also identified that unboxing your first phone is as much of a milestone as your first day of school or driving your first car. So, being part of that unboxing moment to help kids and parents remember the 10 ‘tings’ and agreeing the right boundaries for their first phone usage is really important. THINK packaging worked with us to turn a first phone unboxing into a unique learning experience. The experience teaches the ten things, provides a contract for parents and their children to agree on around their phone use and stickers with reminders for kids to sticker bomb their tech with. This is making information that’s usually hard to discuss, fun and engaging for kids and adults.
“I know how hard it is to get through to kids about how risky it can be out there, but it’s important that the “don’t talk to strangers” chat we all had as kids applies to the online world now too.”
The programme is backed by NZ-based online safety experts, Netsafe.
Says Sean Lyons, chief online safety officer: “With 87% of parents worrying about what their kids are viewing online, smartphone safety is a major concern.
“Getting your first phone is an exciting moment, but also marks a time when you’re likely to start getting unrestricted access to the internet, phone calls and text messages. It’s critical we educate kids in a language they understand and bring parents and children together to have the right conversations about online safety at the right time, before smartphones start being used.”
Recognising the importance of the issue, 2degrees has made the resources free for everyone to access. Free First Phone boxes are available in all 2degrees stores nationwide while stocks last. The track is available to stream on Spotify and the music video is on Scrufizzer’s YouTube channel. There is an information hub for parents, carers and children online at goodtings.nz as well as educational content on how to use the boxes with any new phone size or any hand-me-down phones.
Client: 2degrees
GM Marketing – Dave Pearce
Marketing Manager – Haley Featonby
Brand Specialist – Sylvia Pitto
Agency: TBWA\New Zealand & FROM NOWHERE with TBWA
Production: AO Studios
Artist: Scrufizzer
Music: Good Tings by Scrufizzer (Prod. by Star.One) Written by: Romani Lorenzo, Adam Wilson, Joe Wilson
Publisher: Wake the Town
Music Supervisor: Dave Bass @ Wake The Town Director, Editor, Producer: Carl.TV
VFX: Blockhead VFX
Packaging: Think Packaging
Audio: Liquid Studios
Media: OMD
PR: Eleven PR
34 Comments
I see this song everywhere and I love it.
Makes me feel less guilty about upgrading to the new iPhone since now I can give the old one to the neph as a life lesson
Bad man ting. This is dope cuh.
Why do you think it is a dope cuh? Never heard of the comments, dope cuh, that’s why I’m asking that very question?
Getting product points and mandatories into song lyrics is HARD. Having it come out this well is pretty rare.
Legend work from the creative crew on this, especially young Rhi & Si
Gen z language is just gonna become roadman language. Ya feel me innit bruv
Don’t know who @Big Tim Gav is, but I agree also. Bad man ting. This is dope cuh.
This is cool content. My kids told me so.
Impressive stuff. Or should I say impressive tings
Nice job Si
That’s a good ting.
That packaging is epic and the music video is epic. Well done to all
Benee delivered on steroids. Well done on all the metal to follow
But make it telco
This is 10 from 10 for me. Well done to a very brave and ambitious client.
Agree the video has some cool touches but isn’t this just your classic give a rapper the youth brief? Then they make a sanitised song that isn’t at all why kids like them to start with. Am I missing something? (And yes, I get phones can go ting and UK road men also say ting.)
That packaging is next level
Yes you are missing something. You’re missing a lot.
Like what?
This is a cool angle! But why grime? What’s the insight that shows kiwi kids are overwhelmingly listening to grime? Why is this set in the UK? What happened to fighting for fair? Why is this so disconnected from the latest 2degrees work? Why is everyone making this sound like a worldie idea? I feel like I’m being gaslight by the comment section.
Hmm I dunno, I reckon they’ve pulled it off executionally to have some impact with “the kids”. It was probably a real brief and it’s pretty fucking well done. I like it. And that’s coming from a jealous creative up the road, not the agency.
Can see this working hard
I love it when corporates appropriate black culture <3
can’t become top boy without knowing good and bad tings innit? I don’t see anyone else playing in this space in an especially meaningful, creative or engaging way that will actually incite change (looking at you asb). bravo.
Damn this is sick….. commenting from America. Rad stuff and with a TelCo? nice.
using an international rapper is not a good ting. NZ kids don’t care about *insert random UK rapper’s name here* song about phones. Packaging is hot though.
The best and bravest thing about this campaign is that they are taking the act of selling a product to, and making money from children (probably via their parents) seriously. The product in this case comes with many negative aspects and they are being very upfront and honest about that. Better than fast food being sneaky and trying to convince my children that junk food is part of healthy sport with vouchers and sponsorship etc. There’s a responsibilty here that’s being owned by the marketing team. And kids don’t live in a world of only Kiwi music, so nothing wrong with making it interesting with talent that feels fresh in NZ.
Their hearts would have sunk a bit when asb released Benee song but this song and the supporting packaging design work will see it win out in competing categories. Well done to all
The song that went straight to number 1, was covered by NBC & Rolling Stone and named “the most relaxing song in the world” by the Sydney Morning Herald? The song that’s been streamed over 3 million times and is now being used by therapists and teachers throughout New Zealand and around the world to help the 1 in 4 teenagers suffering from anxiety? 🤔🤔🤔
Aren’t all of Scrufizzer’s listeners in the UK? Isn’t 2degrees only in NZ? So much organic reach wasted on artist choice
Hahahahhah most savage comment award goes to you.
Keep it up, yo
Sounds like your case study results are going well. 🤔
It’s the ting thing: that’s the idea. It’s a good ting. That probably led the execution. If this isn’t received as good work we’re doomed.
Love how New Zealand needs a campaign to tell people not to click spam links.