PENNY: The Wish
PENNY tasked Serviceplan Campaign Munich with creating a Christmas campaign that would resonate deeply with the German public during the pandemic. They needed to move beyond price - driven messaging to build emotional brand equity. The challenge was to acknowledge the difficult social climate while offering a message of hope and support specifically for the younger generation and their parents.
Creative Idea
A mother wished for her son to experience the messy, rebellious milestones stolen by lockdowns.
PENNY subverted traditional Christmas sentimentality by having a mother wish for her son to experience the messy, rebellious milestones of youth lost to the pandemic, acknowledging the forgotten generation's sacrifice through a poignant narrative of reclaimed freedom.
The Mother Who Wished for a Broken Heart
A Masterclass in Practical Transitions
Director Marcus Ibanez and cinematographer Paul Özgür avoided digital trickery to maintain the film’s raw, intimate atmosphere. Shot primarily within a single apartment, the production utilized seamless tracking shots and physical set transitions to visualize the passage of time. This "chamber drama" approach allowed the son’s missed milestones - like house parties and travel - to manifest directly within the domestic space, grounding the surreal narrative in a tangible reality.
The Voice of a Forgotten Generation
The haunting soundtrack, a stripped - back cover of Bon Jovi’s "It’s My Life", was produced by Supreme Music. In a late production pivot to ensure maximum authenticity, the lead actor Julius Gause performed the vocals himself. This choice transformed the song from a mere background track into a literal "voice" for the youth, a demographic the brand felt had been silenced during the pandemic.
Beyond the Screen
The campaign achieved a massive 51 million impressions, reaching two-thirds of the German population. To move beyond mere sentiment, PENNY launched a tangible "Wish" lottery. Over 187,000 participants engaged with the brand, which distributed 5,000 life experiences - including Interrail passes and festival tickets - alongside six trainee positions that provided free communal housing.
From Commercial to Classroom
The film’s cultural resonance was so profound that it transcended advertising. It was officially integrated into German school curriculums and featured in church services as a tool to discuss the psychological toll of lockdowns. By subverting the traditional Christmas "wish" for safety, the campaign highlighted that "growing pains" - like drinking too much or experiencing heartbreak - are essential human rights for the young.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A discount retailer with a massive national footprint and a reputation for being close to the people.
Category
Supermarket Christmas ads usually focus on festive food, family togetherness, and idealized, heartwarming holiday perfection.
Customer
Parents felt immense guilt and sadness watching their children lose their most formative years to isolation and digital screens.
Culture
Society had largely ignored the specific mental health struggles and lost milestones of youth during the COVID - 19 pandemic.
Company
A discount retailer with a massive national footprint and a reputation for being close to the people.
Category
Supermarket Christmas ads usually focus on festive food, family togetherness, and idealized, heartwarming holiday perfection.
Strategy:
Validate the invisible sacrifices of youth to transform a discount brand into a meaningful cultural advocate.
Customer
Parents felt immense guilt and sadness watching their children lose their most formative years to isolation and digital screens.
Culture
Society had largely ignored the specific mental health struggles and lost milestones of youth during the COVID - 19 pandemic.
Strategy:
Validate the invisible sacrifices of youth to transform a discount brand into a meaningful cultural advocate.
Results
The campaign reached 2/3 of Germany's population. It achieved a conversion rate of 32%. The media value was doubled. The campaign was featured in every major German newspaper and TV station. It generated millions of clicks and went 'insanely viral' according to news reports. Penny gave away 5,000 experiences including a round-the-world trip, graduation proms, festival tickets, and apprenticeships with free accommodation.
2/3
of Germany's population reached
32%
conversion rate
2x
media value
Strategy Technique
Attack a Cultural Blind Spot
The campaign addressed the overlooked psychological toll of lockdowns on teenagers, giving a voice to a demographic whose developmental milestones were sacrificed for the safety of older generations.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Reverse Expectations
Instead of wishing for safety or material gifts, the mother wishes for her son to fail, break rules, and get his heart broken, flipping the typical protective parent trope to highlight pandemic-induced loss.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's power lies in its subversive copywriting and cinematic execution, turning a mother's traditional worries into a heartbreaking wish for her son's lost experiences.
The script brilliantly flips the script on parental advice, wishing for 'negative' experiences like heartbreak and failing school to emphasize the value of lived experience.
The lighting and framing create an intimate, filmic atmosphere that elevates the brand from a budget discounter to a cultural commentator.
The mother's performance is incredibly subtle and emotionally resonant, carrying the weight of the entire campaign's message.
The somber cover of a well-known anthem perfectly mirrors the campaign's theme of reclaiming one's life and autonomy.
The synergy between the subversive script and the cinematic visual language transforms a retail brand's message into a profound cultural moment.
