The Bob and Linda campaign not only significantly strengthened the Deutsche Telekom brand and its product preference - it is also a case that provides striking evidence that content driven storytelling can beat traditional product advertising.

In a category where brands are obsessed with high-end smartphones, network performance and speed, Deutsche Telekom chose a different path. By realising that real stories and real people are what truly touch us, Bob and Linda teaches us that emotional content wins - even in a functionally oriented category like telecommunication.

By supporting the remarkable real story of Bob and Linda – a photographer who photographs himself wearing only a pink tutu to make his cancer diagnosed wife smile – Deutsche Telekom created an effective branded content case that set trends within the communications industry. Or as “Die Welt”, one of Germany’s largest newspapers, said in an article during the campaign launch: “The advertising industry calls stories like the one about Bob and Linda ‘real stories’, meaning true stories. This emotional way to do advertising is currently developing into a trend in German TV” .

But Bob and Linda wasn’t just a real story that generated widespread communicative buzz. It was also a campaign that proved to have a real impact on the brand and its business:

• It strengthened Deutsche Telekom’s brand equity and enforced the brand promise of “Life is for sharing”.

• It proved just how contagious unique content can be, generating EUR 5.8 million in earned media.

• It effectively brought more customers to the brand than key competitor Vodafone.

• It extended market leadership in the crucial mobile data segment on the back of Vodafone loses.

• And it outperformed Vodafone by creating more relevance and interest in Deutsche Telekoms’ brand and products.

Under the simple yet powerful creative idea – “Things get great, when people start sharing” – the story of Bob and Linda not only proved the power of valuable sharing in the best quality network, it proved the power and impact of content driven storytelling.