Gen Z will be our next leaders; they’re the ones challenging governments, organising global strikes and holding businesses to account. They are about people, planet and purpose over profit. But, if you listen to the oft-rolled out misconceptions, they are also lazy, phone-addicted individuals who live their lives exclusively, and detrimentally, online.

A new campaign from Deutsche Telekom aims to set the record straight, and to celebrate the much-maligned Gen Z through the words of the musician Billie Eilish. Created by Saatchi & Saatchi, ‘#WhatWeDoNext’ aims to show the positive influence of phone usage among this generation.

The campaign is set to Eilish’s ‘When The Party’s Over’ and sees her words overlaid with contrasting imagery. As she says, “How can a generation that lives online know anything about the outside world,” we see clips of young people celebrating Pride, protesting, and promoting sustainability.

Research carried out by Kantar for Deutsche Telekom found that 83% of Gen Z feel that connected technology is the key to building a better future. This campaign aims to harness the power of that technology and demonstrate its potential for good.

Wolfgang Kampbartold, Vice-President of International Market Communications at Deutsche Telekom pointed out that, “The seismic events of 2020 will impact the younger generation for years to come; culturally, socially, economically.” As part of the campaign, Deutsche Telekom has pledged to provide a platform for Gen Z through its music marketing channel Telekom Electronic Beats.

Whenever a new generation comes of marketing age, societal language is quick to assign them a generational framework, a set of characteristics that they must all adhere to. The beauty of campaigns such as this is that it focuses on the reality; on how the generation itself would choose to portray themselves. Where society sees screen-obsessed, they see endless possibilities.