On March 16 at Clairefontaine, as the French national team gathered ahead of its clash against Croatia in the World Cup qualifiers, Désiré Doué, one of the new call-ups, took his turn in the customary “bizutage”. This requires rookies to stand on a chair and perform a song of their choice during their first team dinner – a light-hearted ritual that occasionally uncovers hidden talents (or lack thereof). This time, though, the real surprise came from other “new players”, unknown to the public, who were, in fact, young actors planted within the group. Their unexpected and chaotic performance sent shockwaves through Clairefontaine and ignited a social media frenzy.
Why did all this happen? It was a stunt by Orange and Publics Conseil to make 5G+ a must-have for young and tech-savvy consumers when it’s not (yet) – a demonstration of the full potential of 5G+. According to a recent study, only 17% of French consumers see 5G technology as essential. 5G+ offers a “VIP lane” on the network, ensuring users stay ahead of the crowd. Publicis Conseil turned it into into a compelling “life cheat code”.
The digital stunt was orchestrated in collaboration with the French national football team. This strategic choice was aimed at reaching young consumers, given football’s status as France’s most popular sport and a significant passion for the youth demographic: 81% of 16-24 year-olds express their affinity for football.
The leaked video, rapidly shared by French national team stars such as Ousmane Dembélé, Randal Kolo Muani, and Mattéo Guendouzi, as well as former players, Blaise Matuidi and Éric Abidal, sparked a massive online buzz.
The following day, fans discovered that the prank was a clever stunt by Orange to promote their Cheat_Code 18_26 5G+ 180GB mobile plan. This inventive campaign highlighted the power of 5G+ and its dedicated bandwidth, ensuring seamless connectivity even during peak usage. Because, as every young person knows, staying ahead of the game is essential.
The social activation was then blended into earned media, paid advertising, and pop culture, to show that that Orange speaks the language of Gen Z. The video achieved over 2.5 million views within hours and generated significant online conversions. Social media was abuzz with users trying to guess the identity of the mysterious “new Bleus.”
Watch the reveal too:
