TBH

Gen Z doesn’t only skip ads but also avoids them altogether. While it might seem this is allergy towards all commercial content, the truth is more complicated than that. To an entertainment-loving generation that has grown up under the pressure and expectations of social media, authenticity and a feeling of belonging have become two of the most important values. This is something that many old-school advertising never quite grasps. At the same time, brands are no longer only competing against each other. They’re in an endless competition against the plethora of social media content.

Our answer is TBH: a world Gen Z wants to be a part of.

TBH is an interactive social media drama series that brings six brands together with their audiences as a seamless part of a drama series plot, directly on the channels they’re most familiar with. We made the TBH audience an active participant instead of just a consumer by giving them the power to influence the decisions characters make across the episodes. And while branded elements are an integral part of the TBH world, to cater to the craving of authenticity and relatability, the series’ focus remains strongly on the story, the characters, and the real-life tensions and issues Gen Z battles with daily.

The result is a relatable series young adults see themselves in, and a world they want to be a part of. As a zero-to-hero story, the numbers speak for themselves – after being published in June, the series has hit a total of 4.2 million views on Instagram and TikTok.

Casting that was open to everyone

To ramp up the series’ authenticity, we reimagined the conventions of production and the whole casting process. We ran an open casting call with Helsinki-filmi, looking for new talent and people who embody the experiences our characters were going through. The success was greater than any of us expected – nearly 200 people arrived at the casting in the first hour. After the main cast was found, the entire show was filmed, edited, and aired in less than a month – a pace that matched the fast-moving world Gen Z lives in.

TBH season 1 was made possible by Oikia, Loop radio channel, DNA, M2-Kodit, Kamppi Helsinki mall, and Himos Juhannus. While this can be considered a pilot run, the results tell us about the undeniable new era of advertising we need to embrace to thrive. Advertising is no longer just about selling and storytelling – but about building worlds people want to belong in.