The mobile market's annual April price hikes had become a moment of real frustration for consumers. As the big network operators pushed through above-inflation increases, value-seeking customers were left feeling powerless, paying more for the same service, year after year.
Lebara wanted to turn this cultural flashpoint into an opportunity: to position itself as the disruptive alternative and drive meaningful brand awareness at exactly the moment consumers were most receptive to switching.
We launched a comedic stunt campaign in the week leading up to April Price Hike day, led by talent Ellie Taylor, appointed as Lebara's "Head of Hiking."
Kitted out head-to-toe in Lebara-branded mountaineering gear, complete with cheeky digs at the Big Mobile players, Ellie was spotted across a series of London locations in a content and photo stunt designed to cut through the noise of bill-shock season. The creative drove a simple, memorable message: Lebara doesn't hike its prices every year.
The campaign spanned earned media, influencer partnerships and owned social channels, combining three hero films and six cutdowns with a press-facing narrative that landed Ellie in front of journalists as a credible (and comedic) brand spokesperson. The stunt was positioned to press as a genuine news moment, not just an ad.
The campaign delivered strong brand visibility at a culturally relevant moment, driving measurable awareness and share of voice gains across the MVNO category.
The activation generated 197 pieces of coverage, with an average domain authority of 66, including three national titles and a coveted Evening Standard Pic of the Day. Earned share of voice against MVNOs grew by 22.6 percentage points year-on-year. Across social, nine pieces of content reached 537,000 people organically and through paid, generating more than 4,000 engagements.
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