In a country where freedom of speech has deteriorated over many years, where media is divided according political parties that control them, where a wire tapping scandal proved the direct influence of politicians on mass media via telephone, one TV station without a budget wanted to say “WE ARE INDEPENDENT”.

The objective was to promote the position of the TV station, as well as to increase the ratings. We did this with one single RED PHONE placed in the prime time TV program of the station which ranged with the purpose to interrupt the journalist, but they ignored and hanged up, thus presenting that Telma TV does not accept any pressure on its news.

The Red Phone managed to get the whole country talking about the TV station and the freedom of media. The other TV stations reported the event as news.

Both political parties and their media believed the RED PHONE was for real, launched attacks towards Telma, demanding proof of political pressure. Even the ruling party came out with a statement. But in doing so, they helped spread the campaign impact even further.

Within 24 hours the Red Phone started to generate its own content. It exploded throughout the Internet and social networks, immediately turning it into a viral movement for freedom of media with over 10,000 shares in 24 hours.

The goal was to position Telma TV as an independent TV station, serving objective news, taking no side, and thus increase its ratings.

Research showed that the trust in the media is dramatically decreasing due to the fact that the public feels that the media are being orchestrated by the political parties and the news are not objective. Even more according to the Reporters without Borders press freedom index, the country's ranking has declined from 34th place to 123rd today.

Just 24 hours after the campaign was launched the campaign generated its own content: 10,000 shares, thousands of "bravos" from the public for the journalists who finally took a stand.

The other TV stations reported the campaign as news.

Political parties launched attacks towards Telma TV, demanding proof of political pressure. Even the ruling party came out with a statement. But all of these actions helped spread the campaign's impact even further.

Telma TV ratings grew 250%.

The fight for freedom in media succeeded and continued.

The campaign was conducted for one day only where next to the anchors of the main news at 18:00, the late news at 21:00 and in the political debate show in prime time we placed a simple red phone.

The red phone ranged in the studio, but the journalists hanged up thus symbolising that they do not accept orders from anyone.

The next day, the Managing Director revealed the campaign message stating the campaign message "Telma TV is an independent TV station"

12 USD were spent for the campaign, i.e. the cost for one plastic red phone.

Telma TV is a private national TV station in Macedonia fighting for higher ratings in a country where freedom of media has been an issue in the last 20 years.

Having no budget available Telma TV wanted to pass the message that this TV station is independent, free from any political pressure. The latest wire tapping scandal revealed the fact that the political parties are putting pressure on the media and this was a peak moment to launch the campaign.

A red phone is a symbol of receiving orders from a highly influential side. The media have been pressured from the influential parties for years in our country, so this red phone represented the orchestrated news.

The target audience that we were addressing were the overall population of Macedonia, the ones that are tired of directed news, the ones seeking for objective journalism, to the journalists themselves in order to provoke them to make a stand against pressure on media. Telma TV is the beacon of independent journalism.