Client: Tesco Mobile
Tesco Mobile’s ‘Phoney Friends’ campaign transformed one of the biggest online safety challenges facing families today - AI-driven misinformation - into an engaging, educational experience delivering both national cut-through and real-world classroom impact. Developed in partnership with Internet Matters, the campaign launched alongside Tesco Mobile’s £200,000 grant to help schools improve online safety education, technology and resources. Strategic planning and new research revealed misinformation had overtaken screentime as parents’ biggest online safety concern, with 8 in 10 parents worried about children being exposed to false information and AI content online. To engage younger audiences, One Green Bean developed a creator-led content strategy centred on gaming influencer Angry Ginge - a trusted, culturally relevant voice with first-hand experience of misinformation, having been targeted by deepfake content. The result was ‘Phoney Friends’ - a playful, interactive content concept using familiar YouTube-style formats and gamified storytelling to help children understand how easily AI-generated and manipulated content can distort reality. The hero film challenges audiences to identify the “real” Angry Ginge among multiple lookalikes using fake visuals, manipulated edits and misinformation techniques. Designed for earned, owned and social channels, the campaign blended influencer culture, gaming mechanics and education to transform online safety into a shareable, classroom-ready experience. The campaign generated 266+ pieces of earned coverage, over 3M social views and 18,838 nominations, while driving 1,348 school applications - exceeding expectations by 237%. Crucially, it delivered lasting educational impact, with 237 schools registering to Digital Matters, 249 teacher registrations and 1,773 lesson pack downloads.
