TBWA\New Zealand and Mobile Provider Launch Programme Teaching Kids the Good and Bad "Tings" about First Phones

Nov. 02, 2023

When your phone goes "ting", is it a good ting or a bad ting? Adults with years’ worth of mobile phone experience behind them still find it hard to know the difference, so children getting their first phone don’t have a chance.

TBWA\New Zealand and mobile company 2degrees, have launched an important new programme designed to provide children and parents with the tools and resources to understand the risks and rewards that come with owning a phone and going online.

Ten key things, or tings, were identified as essential learning for first phone owners and used as the basis of the programme. These ‘tings’ have been translated into a specially designed unboxing experience for kids and parents that is available for free at 2degrees. Created to fit around new and old phones, each layer of the box is a new lesson on phone safety, ending with an agreement for kids and parents to support each other as they navigate changes in phone usage in the future.

Dave Pearce, GM of Marketing at 2degrees said: 

"As a major telco, and the telco known for fighting for fairness in New Zealand, we recognised we have both a responsibility and a great opportunity to help parents and children have conversations about being safe online. I’m also a dad with kids moving into First Phones territory, so it was also an issue we were navigating at home. We wanted to create a programme that was easily accessible and engaging. We wanted to speak to kids on their own terms and be part of the exciting moment when a kid is handed their first phone, whether it’s new or a hand-me-down phone.”

 

The ten "tings" were also taken by renowned UK grime artist, Scrufizzer, in a specially written grime track promoting the "Good Tings and Bad Tings" about phones and online safety. Titled "Good Tings", it has already been listened to over 30,000 times globally, played live on radio station BBC Radio 1Xtra and shared by prominent DJs including Young Franco.

 

Shane Bradnick, TBWA\New Zealand Chief Creative Officer said: 

“Grime is an artform that’s all about speaking the truth and is a genre that’s gaining more and more attention in New Zealand. It’s the cultural language of youth, which is why we chose to use it to spread our First Phones message to the next generation of New Zealand phone owners. We also identified that unboxing your first phone is as much of a milestone as your first day of school or driving your first car. So, being part of that unboxing moment to help kids and parents remember the 10 ‘tings’ and agreeing the right boundaries for their first phone usage is really important. THINK packaging worked with us to turn a first phone unboxing into a unique learning experience. The experience teaches the ten things, provides a contract for parents and their children to agree on around their phone use and stickers with reminders for kids to sticker bomb their tech with. This is making information that’s usually hard to discuss, fun and engaging for kids and adults. I know how hard it is to get through to kids about how risky it can be out there, but it’s important that the “don’t talk to strangers” chat we all had as kids applies to the online world now too.”

 

The programme is backed by New Zealand based online safety experts, Netsafe. Sean Lyons, Chief Online Safety Officer said:

"With 87% of parents worrying about what their kids are viewing online, smartphone safety is a major concern. Getting your first phone is an exciting moment, but also marks a time when you’re likely to start getting unrestricted access to the internet, phone calls and text messages. It’s critical we educate kids in a language they understand and bring parents and children together to have the right conversations about online safety at the right time, before smartphones start being used."

 

Recognising the importance of the issue, 2degrees has made the resources free for everyone to access. Free First Phone boxes are available in all 2degrees stores in New Zealand while stocks last. The track is available to stream on Spotify and the music video is on Scrufizzer’s YouTube channel. There is an information hub for parents, carers and children online at goodtings.nz as well as educational content on how to use the boxes with any new phone size or any
 hand-me-down phones