Telekom’s digital violence campaign moves to Jung von Matt. The film opens on a proverb

Deutsche Telekom said in a press release that its digital violence campaign returned on 21 September 2026 with a new film, “Was sich liebt…”. Jung von Matt in Hamburg made it, the first time the agency has worked on Telekom’s #GegenHassImNetz platform. The spot runs on television, in cinemas, on radio, in podcasts, online and out of home.

Zornitsa Dimitrova starts the film with a German saying

The film opens on “Was sich liebt, das neckt sich” — roughly, teasing is a sign of affection. It then shows how that line covers for behaviour young women put up with, and closes by turning the saying round: what loves respects, what loves supports. Director Zornitsa Dimitrova said she was interested in where digital violence starts, “not in comment sections but much earlier”.

Telekom cites one in five German women over five years

The company backs the campaign with figures from German ministries and the federal police, dated 2026. One in five women in Germany has experienced digital violence in the past five years, according to that data. Among young women the share passes 60 percent. Only 2.4 percent report it. Telekom presents these as the numbers behind the brief, not as its own research.

Thomas Heyen’s Hamburg office takes on the platform

Thomas Heyen runs Jung von Matt Hamburg as managing director. Ulrich Klenke, Telekom’s brand chief, framed the work as part of what a telecoms company owes the spaces it connects. Christian Hahn, who heads marketing communications and media, said digital violence must not be played down, online or offline. Marike Mehlmann-Tripp, head of social engagement, pointed to bystanders as the deciding factor for victims.

Brand-safety arguments and purpose campaigns now sit close together. Poland has asked the European Union to fine Meta 250 million euros over scam ads, and brands have paid for getting tone wrong, as Converse did when it apologised for a Chuck 70 ad. Jung von Matt has also been building a German portfolio on other accounts, including the s.Oliver film with an AI Heidi Klum.

The open question is whether a campaign aimed at bystanders changes the 2.4 percent reporting rate. The next edition of the German ministries’ figures will answer it, and Telekom has run #GegenHassImNetz long enough to be measured against it.