Smartphones are important tools for child development and education. However, digital algorithms prioritise internet addiction, online grooming has increased 80% and excessive screen-time is fuelling a youth mental health epidemic. Without proper training, phones can be harmful.

So to teach kids and parents everything they needed to know about first phone safety before going online, mobile company, 2degrees, and internet security experts, Netsafe, reimagined the unboxing experience of all first phones by creating the world’s first, first phone program.

Designed and engineered to enhance the unboxing of new phones and hand-me-down phones, The First Phone Program is an educational unboxing experience bringing kids and parents together to better understand what it means when their phone goes 'ting'.

The First Phones Program has seen significant media attention, this has led to the campaign being seen by:

- 60,309,195 people across the Globe

- with 40% of all New Zealanders having engaged in the campaign in some way

- 95% learning new, safer behaviours.

Not only has First Phones raised awareness, it has contributed significantly to sales growth:

- Mobile phone plan sales are +39% (volume) YOY when comparing against the previous QTR

Most importantly, young Kiwis are now empowered with the knowledge to have safer first phone experiences:

- 343,000 Kiwis aged 10-14 will benefit from the initiative this year.

- The campaign is being integrated permanently into all schools in New Zealand, enabling every future young Kiwi to learn from the initiative.

- As a result, over the next 10 years, 968,000 Kiwis will directly benefit from the initiative.

To launch, The First Phone Program safety steps, or tings, were translated into an original anthem, ‘Good Tings’ by legendary Grime artist, Scrufizzer. The track spread through youth culture via OOH, street posters and trended on Youtube, Spotify and even played on global radio.

Following the launch, branded OOH appeared in high traffic areas with a recognisably 2degrees style, layered or ‘sticker bombed’ with individually designed phone safety stickers, to resonate with kids and parents.

Multiple hero executions were live before secondary contextual messages

started to show up with phone safety messaging in places kids hang out; like

malls, bus stops and near schools.

Then, to really ‘make phone safety stick’, kids were encouraged to take

our collectable stickers and sticker bomb our mall ads as well as their own

belongings, keeping good phone safety habits front of mind.