2degrees – Good Tings (New Zealand)
Turned kids’ first phones into digital safety lessons, embedding protection into music, unboxing, and school curriculum.
Submitted by OMD New Zealand
Winner’s Citation
PLATINUM in the 2025 Marketing Makes a World of Difference Awards.
2degrees’ “Good Tings” turned a telco problem into a cultural solution. By transforming the first phone moment into a digital safety milestone—with a grime track, an unboxing that doubled as a course, and partnerships with schools and Netsafe—the campaign made fairness real for Kiwi families. With record commercial growth, lasting curriculum integration, and safer digital habits for a generation, 2degrees proved that good culture can lead to good business—and “good tings” for all.
How it Makes a World of Difference
As New Zealand’s challenger telco, 2degrees built its brand on fighting for fairness. But when inflation and rebrands blurred “fairness” with “cheap,” the company needed to redefine its mission. It found a cause worth fighting for: kids’ digital safety. Good Tings tackled the anxiety parents felt around their children’s first phones by turning that milestone into a cultural teaching moment. Partnering with UK grime artist Scrufizzer, 2degrees launched a track that embedded digital safety tips in its lyrics—dropping like music, not marketing. Alongside it came the “First Phone” box, which transformed unboxing into a disguised safety course. The initiative reframed fairness as protection, showing that a telco can be a cultural ally, not just a provider.
Jury Lens Evaluation
- Promise Becomes Action: 2degrees promised fairness and acted by safeguarding the first phone moment for kids and parents.
- Trust: By working with Netsafe and youth influencers, the brand bridged credibility with both parents and teens.
- Growth: The campaign drove double-digit commercial gains—boosting sales, reputation, and market share.
- Difference: By embedding safety into music, unboxing, and culture, Good Tings transformed a corporate risk into a cultural solution.
Results that Make a Difference
- 15,000 people engaged with the online unboxing experience.
- All 4,000 First Phone boxes sold out, now a permanent retail feature.
- Netsafe reported +25% more conversations about phone safety.
- +1,110% uplift in Google searches for “first phone support.”
- Permanently integrated into NZ’s national school curriculum, ensuring future impact.
- Brand reputation soared:
- “Cares about making NZ a better place” +13 pts
- “Tackles social issues” +23 pts
- “Cares about online safety” +27 pts
- Commercial growth: +11.8% revenue vs. competitor average of +5.6%.
- Mobile plan sales rose +39% during campaign.
