Deutsche Telekom Launches Sci-Fi Film To Inspire GenZ

Deutsche Telekom has launched Project Futureproof to inspire and support Gen Z, backed by a new campaign from Saatchi & Saatchi.

The new international campaign aims to inspire and support young people in following their passions when it comes to choosing a career.

At the core of the campaign is an optimistic short film that invites young people to choose utopia over dystopia and trust that their passion will support them.

Created by Saatchi & Saatchi and directed by Somesuch’s Rollo Jackson, the film has a message of digital optimism hinting at the career opportunities that will naturally evolve from this generation's current passions. Set in 2021, a series of sci-fi glitches offers a group of Gen Z-ers a vision into the future, showing a glimpse into how they (and the world around them) have been changed by following their passions.

The series of vignettes of the future harnesses a spirit of hope and possibility with a playful, but contemporary, nod to sci-fi. The soundtrack is a version of Billie Eilish’s ‘My Future’ and the superstar also cameos in the future world.

“The future feels uncertain”, Eilish said, “but I’m always inspired by what our generation is able to achieve in the face of so many different challenges.”

The campaign will be featured across a range of Gen Z-focused digital and social media channels, including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Spotify.

At the heart of Project Futureproof is a free-to-access digital tool that helps Gen Z to better understand their abilities and how these are connected to future career opportunities.

It has been developed in collaboration with both Gen Z contributors and a diverse group of professional skills & employability experts. It aims to connect users to peer-to-peer inspiration & support.

In a post-pandemic world, there are many uncertainties the next generation are facing: culturally, socially & economically. Research released today by Deutsche Telekom shows 61 percent of European Gen Z-ers are anxious about their future job and career prospects. 54 percent are unsure what careers will exist in the future, with 43 percent saying they are unsure if they have the qualities they need to succeed.

“Gen Z are stepping into a world of work that will have been fundamentally changed by both the COVID-19 pandemic and digital transformation.” explains Ulrich Klenke, chief brand officer at Deutsche Telekom. “We believe that it is our collective responsibility to help them navigate the opportunities & challenges they face. We want to show them that if they have a passion, they have a future.”

Franki Goodwin, ECD of Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “It’s been really rewarding to further Deutsche Telekom’s support and investment in young people after such a shocking year for their prospects and to do it with a bit of a sci-fi twist was a creative dream come true.

"I really hope the campaign inspires young people to double down on their skills and passions and opens up new opportunities for them.”

The digital tool itself - which was developed by Publicis Sapient, the Digital Transformation Hub of Publicis Groupé - uses established RIASEC (vocational personality) modelling to help to connect users with potential future career clusters. It helps Gen Z to see how their passions, skills, talents and personality are fundamental to helping shape their future journey and how they can best use these personal attributes as part of future careers. Unlike existing services, the tool takes a uniquely Gen Z perspective, identifying key trends & changes in the world of work, delivering insights through a personalised, gamified experience and an inspirational content feed.

Alongside the digital tool, a ‘Project Futureproof’ online hub also features helpful resources where Deutsche Telekom experts share insights on how to write CVs, prepare for job interviews and improve your social media profile. Deutsche Telekom has a range of initiatives to support young people, including dual student & apprenticeship programmes, careers & employability resources, tailored youth tariffs and localised initiatives.

CREDITS

Deutsche Telekom

Ulrich Klenke, chief brand officer

Wolfgang Kampbartold, VP international marketing communications

Ayten Pekerman, head of international market communication

Sonja Wessel, international market communication

Maren Ruddat, international market communication

Daniel Jaeger, head of international media

Ralf Luelsdorf, head of international music marketing

Saatchi & Saatchi

Kate Stanners, chairwoman & global chief creative officer

Guillermo Vega, London CCO

Franki Goodwin, ECD

Tobias Tercic & Hernan Garcia Dietrich; Nathan Crawford, creatives

Charlotte Jude, TV Producer

Nayab Malik, senior creative producer

Sam Wise, head of planning

Mathieu Abet, planning partner

Clare Shaw, international client services director

Terri Turner, senior account director

Cali Fish, account manager

Talveer Uppal, lead conceptual designer

Nicholas Pires, senior motion designer

Emmet O’Shea, designer

Sam Sheridan, designer

Production Company: Somesuch

Emory Ruegg, executive producer

Hannah Cooper, producer

Service Company: Radioactive

Dana Teslenko, line producer

Vova Radlinkskiy, production designer

Rollo Jackson, director

Bobby Shore, DoP

Sound house: Factory

Sound designer: Dan Beckwith

Audio producer: Beth Massey

Film post production main film: ETC

Colourist: Luke Morrison

VFX supervisor: Alex Snookes

CG lead: Patrick Krafft

Producer: Oscar Wendt

BTS Photography

LA: Chantal Anderson

Kiev: Artem Nadyozhin

Exposure (media channels): Online & Social Media

Media

Mindshare Germany:

Daniel Epailly - Managing Director / Global Client Lead

Mediacom Germany:

Timur Goekler, managing partner Media Consulting

emetriq GmbH:

Anne Wilhelms, lead account manager

Pulse Advertising GmbH:

Daniela Kühr, campaign manager

Jonas Wolf, executive director DACH

Artist/Brand Relationship Management

Thorsten König, Miracle Music

Talent: Billie Eilish

Management: Danny Rukasin, Laura Ramsay, Brandon Goodman (Best Friends Music)

Talent creative direction: Michelle An, Chelsea Dodson (Interscope Records)

Talent hair: Benjamin Mohapi

Talent makeup: Rob Rumsey

Talent styling: Amanda Merten

Talent styling Assistant: Carly Russ

Webapp

Partner: Publicis Sapient

Stephan Ritter, Publicis Sapient telco industry

Alex von Gentzkow, lead DACH

Carsten Wogatzky, client partner / account lead

Adam Boyette, strategy lead

Peter Smyczek, visual design lead

Herbert Baumberger, UX Lead

Sarah Hoffmann, technology lead

Sebastian Jandrey, program management

Henri Laux, delivery lead

Adam Hammad, proxy product owner

Nagalakshmi J M, frontend technology

Manish Alankala, backend technology

Philipp Hammerschmidt, tech infrastructure

Seyda Sasmaz, testing

Lawrence Pearson, visual design support

Jennifer Carr, motion graphic design

The Content Engine, Copy Lead

Cabeza Patata / Katie Menzies, Illustrations

PR

Agency: Proud Robinson + Partners

Lucy Boyd, business lead/partner

Lara McWilliam, senior account director

Cynthia Gilbertz, account manager

Rebecca Ritchie, strategist