PROXIMUS Launches ‘Hide & Seek’: A Digital Game Challenging Teens to Disconnect

Created by AKQA and directed by Nitram though HAMLET, the spot reimagines the classic game

Screen-time among teenagers continues to rise, and when young people want to avoid confrontation, they tend to hide, both in real life and behind their screens.  Responding to a growing reality on the role of connectivity in young people’s lives, Belgian telecommunications company PROXIMUS wanted to challenge them to step away from screens – if only for a moment – by launching a new campaign ‘Hide & Seek’.

Created by AKQA and directed by Nitram through international production company HAMLET, the campaign encourages teenagers to disconnect by reimagining the classic game, Hide & Seek, but this time it’s digital.

Hide & Seek features a group of young people scrolling on their phones, not aware of anything else around them, when they are faced with the challenge: ‘how long can you stay offline’? The horrified looking teenagers literally start to hide by sinking into the ground, diving into bushes, hiding under rocks. Even camouflaging themselves before they are invited to join in a game of digital hide and seek and win prizes.

Participants need to pre-register for the game which officially starts on 25 September. The rules are that players must stay offline by switching to airplane mode – this means they are ‘hiding’. However, once they connect to 5G, they become ‘found’ and the game ends. The longer they are able to stay offline, the bigger the reward, and the chance to win tickets for theme parks, the cinema and sports matches.

The campaign will roll out across digital channels (OLV, social media), web platforms, and digital out-of-home (DOOH) in Belgium until 25 September 2025, concluding just as the real game begins.

Nitram, director HAMLET said: “Teens hiding in ridiculous, meme-worthy ways just to avoid turning off their phones, that was all I needed to dive into this project. From hiding under a fake rock to a kid stuffed inside a runaway mailbox, we kept it all practical. It gives the film that surreal and charming energy… plus a few glorious fails (shoutout to the kid who gave it all and crashed mid-run inside the mailbox)”

Kenn Van Lijsebeth, creative director AKQA Brussels added: “It’s rare to find talent, drive, and kindness in the same director. Nitram has no ego. He’s just really good. We truly loved every second working with him. If it were up to us, we’d have him working exclusively for us. But chances are, he’ll soon be priceless.”

Source: AKQA Brussels

  Advertising, AKQA, AKQA Brussels, Campaign, HAMLET, Marketing, PROXIMUS