STORYTIME

TitleSTORYTIME
BrandTELEKOM ROMANIA
Product/ServiceSTORYTIME APP
Category C02. Use of Mobile & Devices
Entrant TELEKOM ROMANIA Bucharest, ROMANIA
Idea Creation LEO BURNETT Bucharest, ROMANIA
PR LEO BURNETT Bucharest, ROMANIA
Production SAGA FILM Bucharest, ROMANIA
Production 2 PLAYTIME POST Bucharest, ROMANIA
Production 3 CHAINSAW EUROPE Bucharest, ROMANIA
Credits
Name Company Position
Jorg Riommi Publicis Romania and CEE CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE
Vasilije Corluka Leo Burnett Bucharest Executive Creative Director
Ali Bati N/A Executive Creative Director
Adriana Pascan Leo Burnett Bucharest Executive Creative Director
Diana Alexa Leo Burnett Bucharest Managing Director
Victor Stroe Leo Burnett Bucharest Head of Strategy and Associate Director
Silvana Frinculescu Leo Burnett Bucharest Art Director
Miruna Potop Leo Burnett Bucharest Copywriter
Mihai Lucanu Leo Burnett Bucharest Account Director
Laura Moisa Leo Burnett Bucharest Account Manager
Maria Ilea Leo Burnett Bucharest Digital Account Manager
Mirabela Manea Leo Burnett Bucharest Digital Department Coordinator
Ruxandra Rau Telekom Romania Director Brand & Communication Strategy
Stefania Rusu Telekom Romania Brand Manager
Sorin Deleanu Leo Burnett Bucharest Agency Producer
Ciprian Postelnicu Telekom Romania Media Director
Ada Teslaru Publicis Groupe Romania PR Director
Adrian Iota GRAFICSKULL Illustrator
Viorel Chesaru Chainsaw Europe Deputy CEO
Alexandru Bogdan Saga Film Production house producer
Adrian Paduretu Saga Film Director Of Photography
Oana Manea Chainsaw Europe Post Production Supervisor
Gabi Basalici Playtime Post Post Production Supervisor
Maria Zaharia Chainsaw Europe Editor
Dragos Apetri Playtime post Editor
Mihai Isidor Playtime Post Motion Graphic designer
Dan Frinculescu Freelancer Collaborator Creative Director

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

Reading stories to kids is beneficial for their emotional development. But families are not always together. The “Storytime” app provides a direct experience between parents and kids who are separated by long distances, by engaging both in a novel way to share bedtime stories. Both parents & kids have to be connected simultaneously in order for the in-app stories to unfold.

Background

According to UNICEF, 350.000 Romanian children are left behind with emotional trauma, as their parents work abroad to provide them with a better life. And according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, reading stories to children helps them with their emotional development. Telekom wanted to find a way to bring parents working abroad and kids let in Romania closer together, even when they are thousands of miles apart from each other. The main objective was to further reinforce Telekom’s brand mantra, “Life’s for sharing.”

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

“Storytime” is the first mobile app for long-distance bedtime stories.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Immigration is a serious problem for Romania, which is number 2 after Syria, in this regard. Therefore, 350.000 kids are left behind by parents working abroad. It’s a traumatic experience, especially for the kids. Our main target audience was made of parents working abroad and their kids left at home in Romania. The secondary target is Telekom’s existing customers and prospect customers, for whom we had to prove once more that life can be shared in so many ways thanks to Telekom’s products and services. The idea is relevant for Telekom through its nature: a mobile app with the purpose to connect people help creating meaningful bonds, in an interactive way.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

We launched the “Storytime” app both on the App Store and Google Play. This is how the app works: First, parents choose their kids’ favorite stories from the app. While parents read the stories on their screen, kids listen to their voices and enjoy the respective stories unfold in beautiful in-app animations. With the help of specially designed face filters, parents also become story characters. Other effects add to the engaging nature of the experience: vibration affects for knocking on doors or flashlight effects for in-story lightnings, for instance. This way, thanks to Telekom, the bedtime ritual is transformed into a new, interactive bonding experience and is made possible even when parents and kids are separated by thousands of miles.

List the results (30% of vote)

Within days, StoryTime reached #1 in Google Play. The app was downloaded in 6 countries. 19000 hours of StoryTime spent between the parents and kids, and counting. The idea was immediately broadcasted and embraced by local and international tech media.