Situation:

In Germany, the youth were among those who suffered most from the pandemic’s restrictions: with homeschooling, contact restrictions and long periods under lockdown, teenage life was basically cancelled. Their needs were overlooked and the impact on a whole generation’s mental health was underestimated. Their missed experiences were never addressed in public.

Brief & Objective:

As a grocer, PENNY has always been open to everyone during the pandemic. Being close to our customers’ lives, we’ve experienced first-hand how teenagers were among those who suffered most from the restrictions. At Christmas, PENNY not only provides its customers with food, but also takes care of their emotional and social needs. How can we give teenagers the attention they deserve in these times and maybe even a piece of their lost youth back?

With our campaign, we conveyed the feeling of an entire coming-of-age and captured the zeitgeist of a whole generation. Our campaign not only enabled young people to get a piece of their youth back – but also gave an entire generation back its voice. “The wish" revealed what young people have been missing since the past two years. And let them catch up on what they have been desiring for so long: It motivated viewers to apply for unforgettable life experiences which PENNY gave away.

What started on social media quickly went viral, making the headlines of leading German newspapers and TV stations. Supported by a website, we enabled young people to make up for the experiences they lost in the past two years. We were not talk of town. We were the talk of the nation.

Young adults were among those who suffered the most during the pandemic – especially in Germany. Due to strict and enduring regulations, they lost essential experiences of growing up. They became the forgotten generation – and nobody cared. As a food supplier, PENNY was still close to the everyday life of its customers, recognizing this issue, which affected millions of teenagers and their parents. Mothers are the core target audiences of PENNY, since they are mostly responsible for the household shopping in Germany. But this issue is not the issue of parents and their kids. This is the issue of the nation – since we are talking about our next generation.

What started on social media quickly went viral, making the headlines of leading German newspapers and TV stations. Supported by a website, we enabled young people to make up for the experiences they lost in the past two years.

At Christmas, PENNY not only provides its customers with food, but also takes care of their emotional and social needs. So we wanted to give teenagers the attention they deserve in these times. With our campaign, we conveyed the feeling of an entire coming-of-age and captured the zeitgeist of a whole generation. From Instagram Stories to TikTok and YouTube: “The wish" revealed what young people have been missing since the past two years. And let them catch up on what they have been desiring for so long: It motivated viewers to apply for unforgettable life experiences which PENNY gave away.

Resulting in a nationwide discussion about the lost youth of generation – online, in newspapers, on TV, in schools and even in churches. Additionally, our lead actor was interviewed on TV as an ambassador of his generation.

"The Wish" sparked a nationwide discussion about the lost moments of youth. Currently 20 million views within days and an organic reach of 50% on YouTube. Our campaign gave young people finally a voice – on almost every major TV station, countless newspapers and news portals. Doubling our media value. We reached more than 51 million people (which is 2/3 of Germany’s population) with an organic reach of 66.9%. The campaign went viral and generated a total of 173,000 interactions – on YouTube alone, the interaction rate was 253%. Over 187.000 young people took part in our action to get a piece of their youth back, increasing website traffic by 300 %. A Christmas wish became a plea of an entire generation. And we were able to give young people in Germany a piece of their youth back.