Parents will know all too well the ‘Don’t be late’ text as curfew fast approaches. For teenagers treasured evenings out with friends feel like freedom. While phone calls and text check in put worried parents minds at ease.

A new campaign for EE from Saatchi & Saatchi entitled, ‘Curfew’ brings to life the importance of staying connected into the small hours.

At home, broadband connectivity is easy but with teenagers out and about at friends' houses, bowling alleys or even nightclubs access to the internet might be limited. ‘Curfew’ demonstrates EE’s connectivity, showcasing the benefits of being an EE One customer such as unlimited data SIMs. The campaign brings to life the importance of connectivity out of the home and demonstrates how parents' minds can be reassured and keep in contact with their children with EE.

Echo & The Bunnymen’s ‘The Killing Moon’ acts as the soundtrack to a hero film that brings back memories of being a teenager and hanging out with friends. Opening with a group of teenagers at a cinema, the scene shows a parent back at home peering out of their window with the words ‘Don’t be late’ written across the screen.

Audiences see a montage of teenagers enjoying different nights out. In between the scenes of the teenagers having fun playing games with friends, dancing in nightclubs and hanging out in the fairgrounds, the footage is interspersed with different messages and phone calls from parents checking in to make sure that everything is OK.

The teenagers look at their phones to see missed calls and texts from their parents. With EE and their unlimited data packages, they are able to stay in contact wherever they are. They then use their phones to plan routes home, call their parents to pick them up or update on their whereabouts. In the race to make it back against curfew the film ends with the teenagers returning to their homes. One young girl cuddles up to her mother while another boy sits to watch TV with his grandma. Kevin Bacon’s voiceover ends the spot with: ‘Wherever they are, keep them connected with unlimited data.’

The emotive soundtrack along with the array of different nights out represented give the spot a nostalgic feel. Audiences can relate to both the teenagers out with friends and the worried parents who are eager to be updated by their loved ones. The film also explores the idea of connection between parents and teenagers as parents long to stay close to their teenagers as they grow up, navigating the tricky balance between protectiveness and trust. The relatability of both sides underlines the importance of being able to stay connected.   

EE is committed to depicting the realities of consumers' lives and being honest about what it is like to grow up with smartphones.

“We can all remember being teenagers and being out late, past curfew – and as ever, EE won’t shy away from depicting the true nature of British teenage life” says Ben Mooge, CCO at Publicis Groupe UK.

He continues: “As an EE One customer, your broadband comes with unlimited data sims, which means that parents can relax knowing their teenage kids are always in reach, on the best possible network. Which to be honest is probably the only thing that parents won’t worry about.”

To support families, EE offers parental controls for mobile and broadband and has created PhoneSmart, the first phone license offering a free online programme that provides advice for young people and parents on how to navigate the digital world and stay safe online.

Curfew will run across cinema, broadcast video on demand (BVOD), digital out of home (DOOH), digital audio and social, and has been released during school holidays, a time when teenagers are out of the home more and spending time with friends.

The out of home portion of the campaign features selfie-style shots of kids travelling home on the bus and hanging out with friends, highlighting the campaign’s message that as an EE One customer, you can easily stay connected.

Holding up a mirror to modern Britain, ‘Curfew’ demonstrates an understanding of teenagers and reflects the needs of parents to bring to life the importance of connectivity while positioning EE as a facilitator of that connection.