150 Mio.

Global social media reach

28,57 m

Worldrecord

165 Mio.

Global earned media impressions

Agency

Serviceplan
 

Client

O₂ - Telefonica 
 

Year

2024

Location

Germany
 

Industry

Telecommunication
 

Services

Creative Campaigns, Brand Strategy, Social Media, Content Production

Awards

- Bronze | New York Festivals | 2024

- 2x Gold & 1x Bronze | Clio Sports | 2024

- Gold | Epica Awards | 2024

- Silver | Eurobest | 2024

- Bronze | ADC Wettbewerb | 2025

Overview

O₂ wanted to prove its “can do” attitude in a culturally relevant way instead of just claiming it. Serviceplan turned Sebastian Steudtner’s mission into the brand’s mission, followed it for months in a social-first, documentary style and made the 28.57 metre world record wave a global brand moment.

Challenge

More than gigabytes.

In the telecom market, communication revolves mainly around prices and tariffs. There is hardly any credible access to real inspiration.

This is exactly where O₂ wanted to make a difference. The brand stands for a “can do” attitude that promises more than data volume: the belief that boundaries exist to be overcome. But an attitude can’t simply be claimed. It has to become visible, real and emotional, beyond traditional brand communication.

Serviceplan’s task: find an environment where “can do” isn’t told, but proven. An environment with genuine cultural relevance that credibly connects O₂ with courage, perseverance and pushing beyond limits.

How do you prove, in a saturated market, an attitude that shows boundaries can be overcome?

Solution

His mission becomes ours.

The answer lay in the ocean. O₂ entered into a partnership with big-wave surfer Sebastian Steudtner, whose life’s work is built on making the seemingly impossible possible. Serviceplan linked the brand attitude to a real, historic mission: the hunt for the biggest wave of all time.

Instead of producing ads, we documented Sebastian’s journey. With all the setbacks, extreme situations and personal challenges. No staged brand promise, but genuine proof that with courage, perseverance and the right partner, you can push beyond your limits.

For more than six months, Serviceplan told this journey radically real and social-first. Behind-the-scenes footage, personal updates, training moments, scientific insights and live content brought a million-strong audience into Sebastian’s world. Unfiltered images, real emotions, real danger. No script, no acting: the ocean wrote the story.

Consistent community engagement, creator integration, regular story beats and international multipliers built tension continuously. Until the moment everyone had been waiting for: Sebastian Steudtner surfed a 28.57 metre wave, higher than his own world record.

The moment went viral and was picked up by media worldwide. O₂ was not perceived as a sponsor, but as a genuine part of the mission. And as the only telecom brand that can credibly own big-wave surfing.

Provided services

Let´s Talk

Do you require assistance with your project?
We would be pleased to advise you without obligation.

Awards

CLIO Sports Award

2x Gold I Clio Sports | 2024

Epica Award

Gold | Epica Awards | 2024

Eurobest Award

Silver I Eurobest | 2024

Further cases from Serviceplan

About Serviceplan

Serviceplan is the creative brand of the Serviceplan Group, Europe’s largest independent agency group. The Serviceplan agencies combine a broad spectrum of capabilities in the field of Creative and Content: from Creative Campaigns, Design, UX & Visual Design, Brand Strategy, Social Content & Creators, Public Relations and Event Marketing to Content Creation, Content Production and Content Management. Within the House of Communication model, they work in an integrated way with the Media & Data division of Mediaplus as well as the Digital Experience & Technology division of Plan.Net. In this way, holistic solutions are created that make brands culturally relevant and create sustainable growth. Serviceplan’s creative capabilities are internationally recognized: the Serviceplan agencies regularly rank among the most successful independent agencies at the Cannes Lions, ADC, D&AD and other international creative awards. In national and international creative rankings, Serviceplan regularly achieves top positions and has been named Independent Agency of the Year multiple times.

Let's get in touch!
Annika Thiedke
Annika Thiedke
Serviceplan Group
Let's get in touch!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

FAQ

“Breaking Limits. Together.” is a partnership between O₂ Telefónica and big-wave surfer Sebastian Steudtner, developed by Serviceplan. It turns his hunt for the biggest wave of all time into real proof of the O₂ brand’s “can do” attitude.

For O₂, Serviceplan followed Steudtner’s journey for more than six months in a documentary, social-first style: behind-the-scenes material, training insights, live content, creator integration and international multipliers, with no script and no staged advertising message.

The world record on a 28.57 metre wave delivered over 150 million social reach, 165 million worldwide earned media impressions, more than 430,000 engagements and over 50,000 shares for O₂. Serviceplan positioned O₂ as a genuine part of the mission rather than a sponsor.