Rebellious, defiant, empowered. Deutsche Telekom inspires Gen Z to reclaim their agency and personal identity in an age of constant content overwhelm and online expectations in a gutsy campaign, Not a Passenger, by INGO.

Wet Leg frontwoman, Rhian Teasdale, leads a high-octane car ride, navigating a barrage of pressures and unsolicited advice, bombarded by noise, opinions, and advice attempting to throw her off track, to remind Gen Z to tune out the backseat drivers served up by algorithms and lock into their own internal signal. 

The 60-second hero manifesto film is supported by a Telekom Electronic Beats live experience in Berlin, headlined by Wet Leg. Fans will be able to use social media clues to track down the Not a Passenger car featured in the ad, which will move around secret spots in Berlin, to secure a pair of tickets.  

INGO’s latest push follows on from last year’s successful Brain Rot campaign, which put a spotlight on the scourge of digital doppelgängers.  

“In an age of content overwhelm, filled with noise, opinions, and pressures, Gen Z is fighting to tune into their own identity,” stated Ulrich Klenke, chief brand officer at Deutsche Telekom. “As a brand, we believe in the many opportunities that the digital world has to offer, but that the power lies in making it work for – and not against you. We want to empower Gen Z to truly own their world.”

Rhian Teasdale commented, “I love being in a band and I love making music, but it’s 2026, which means I also run a couple of social media accounts. And with that comes a constant stream of opinions about me, my friends, and the music we make. Whether those opinions are super sweet and encouraging or creepy and loaded with misogyny, it’s important to me to be able to tune them out and stay on my own frequency. That’s why the message of ‘I’m Not a Passenger’ really clicked with me. We’re all constantly being told who to be by strangers online. Life’s too short not to be at the helm.”

Dan Fisher, global chief creative officer at INGO, added, “With this campaign, we’re reminding people of the importance of tuning out the noise and tuning into your own instincts. And who better to work with on a campaign that celebrates the power that comes with owning your own world than the hugely inspiring Rhian Teasdale? At the heart of our work with Deutsche Telekom is a simple idea: technology should help people connect with their world on their own terms, rather than dictate those terms to them.”

The campaign is running in Telekom territories, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, and Slovakia across paid channels, social media, out-of-home (OOH), and interactive real-world experiences accompanied by design elements to memes.

The Brain Rot campaign:

Credits

Creative Agency: INGO
Global CCO: Dan Fisher 
Executive Creative Directors: Anna Salonen & Hanna Stenwall 
Art Director: Shilan Shewki 
Copywriter: Agnes Nisbel Fjäll  
Creative: Robin Günther 
Global CSO: Hadi Zabad 
Social & Cultural Strategist: Wictor Würtzell 
Strategist: Juviann Cuevas 
CEO & Business Director: Håkan Karlsvärd 
Client Lead: Carin Lagergren  
Senior Account Manager: Klara Bringel  
Account Manager: Julia Malm  
Agency Producer: Mattias Coldén  
Design Director: Anne-Mette Møller 
Motion Designer: Amand Chevallier  
Social Strategy Director: Jack Docherty 
Senior Social Intelligence Strategist: Georgia Weiner 
Social Planner: Alice Marchetto 
Influencer Manager: Miriam Burgos
 

Production Company: Colors  
Director – Charlie Engman 
Executive Producer: Julie Mathieu 
Producer: Cecilia Kotula 
Service Company: Family Production  

Client: Deutsche Telekom
Ulrich Klenke: Chief Brand Officer  
Wolfgang Kampbartold: VP International Market Communication  
Maren Ruddat: Senior Brand Strategy Manager 
Ralf Lülsdor: Head of Music Marketing Electronic Beats  
Julian Bretz: Head of International Media  

Music Publishing: X&Berlin/Universal  
Head of Strategy: Moritz Bommert   
Creative Director: Universal Music

PR Agency: Proud Robinson + Partners

Media Agency: Emetriq