Telia Urges Its Customers To ‘Be Limitless’ In Campaign That Puts People Before Phones

As a tech company, Telia depends highly on minds without limitations. Because, as they say, these are the minds that will come up with the technology of tomorrow. To cultivate this forward thinking, the brand has created a series of films, centered around three remarkable individuals and their inspiring, true stories.

The first of the long format films, which aired just before this year’s Le Mans, portrays Christina, the first female race driver to win a full season IMSA championship. The following films feature Ihan, an Iraqi refugee child who became an award winning professional drummer, and Bruno, a skilled surfer who was paralyzed at the young age of 26, but has since won two consecutive world championships in adaptive surfing.

Together, they prove that the human mind can overcome any adversity, and that the only limitations that exist, are the ones we set for ourselves.

“We, as advertisers and storytellers, can make up any story we want, but sometimes you simply can’t beat the real thing,” says Jabali Ravn and Lasse Vintersbølle, the creative team from the Danish ad agency, Hjaltelin Stahl, who’s behind the campaign.

The result is dark and powerful, but ultimately uplifting, transporting the viewer from the depths of the Indian Ocean to the rooftops of L.A, while exploring the limitations of the human mind. Especially the shots of Bruno at the bottom of the ocean in his wheelchair, and his following rise to the surface, is quite a sight to behold. A symbolic shot, that encapsulates the message of the entire campaign.

All the while, Telia and their many products are subtly visible, but in a way that never feels forced. The characters simply use the tech, as they normally would.

Beside the three films, Telia is working with Norwegian start up, No Isolation, that creates robots for ill and isolated children, who miss out on school and friendships because of their long-term illnesses. Through Telia’s 4G network, the children are able to connect with the robot, AV1, through their smartphone, which enables them to participate in anything from classes to birthday parties, giving them a sense of not being limited by their illness.

Impressive initiatives like this, backs up the campaign message, “Be limitless”, and results in an effort that doesn’t look or feel much like an ad campaign at all.

• Christina Nielsen, drives for Ferrari and is the first female IMSA full season champion. This year, she drove her 2nd Le Mans.
• Ihan Haydar, once refugee child from then war-plagued Iraq, now professional and award winning drummer in the Danish band, L.I.G.A.
• Bruno Hansen, paralyzed from the waist down, and two times world champion in adaptive surfing.