Never share a photo you’d hate to see spread. It’s a message that many young people still ignore with dire consequences KPN, the Netherlands’ leading Telco, believes in a better internet: safer, more social and sustainable. As part of this mission, it has launched a campaign focused on the devastating effects of online shaming, created by Dentsu Creative Amsterdam.

33% of teens sext. It’s a normal, private way of flirting, but it also makes them vulnerable. 1/100 have had their intimate images forwarded without consent with consequences ranging from loneliness and depression to suicide. Working with experts and victims in this space, it’s clear that the conversation around online shaming needs to shift from victim blaming (don’t send images) to taking responsibility for not forwarding without consent. 

To reach Gen Z, Dentsu Creative and KPN collaborated with Dutch pop star, MEAU, who reached out to her fans and spoke to victims about their experiences, to write A Piece of Me, a song and a music video that make the point, think twice before you forward. It is already a top 3 hit, has had 6.5m streams, 31.5m views and counting. All the more impressive when you consider there are only 17.7m people in the Netherlands.

It has been so effective that hundreds of Dutch schools are showing it in class, and it’s even helping to change the law to make forwarding intimate content without consent a sexual offence as part of the Dutch Sexual Crimes Act.

The music video is directed by a wonderful young director, Emma Brandehorst. The story is sensitively told, bolstered by some great casting. These are first time actors, something she specialises in, and she spent a lot of time with them off set, so they could get to know each other before filming. The feeling is one of authenticity. They also come across as nice, relatable kids – they could be your child or your child’s boyfriend or girlfriend. The point is made clearly, this could happen to anyone.  

But the internet is bigger than the Netherlands. Dentsu Creative and KPN want to reach even more teens, parents and educators, to open up the discussion, and help protect more young lives. So, the agency is re-recording the song and music video in English, and which will be ready later this month.

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