Lebara - The Other Referendum
In the lead-up to the UK's EU Referendum, migrants were being used as a wedge issue and certain newspapers were In 2016, two million EU citizens living in the UK were at the centre of the Brexit debate but excluded from the vote. This campaign positioned Lebara as an ally — standing with its migrant audiences at a moment when few others did.
Challenge
Migration was one of the most divisive issues of the EU referendum. EU citizens were being discussed daily in headlines and political speeches, but they had no vote and little agency in how they were represented.
For Lebara—a telecom brand whose customer base is made up largely of migrant communities—ignoring the conversation wasn’t neutral. It risked alienating the very people it served.
Insight
People form stronger emotional connections with brands they feel share their values or stand with them in moments of uncertainty. Our audience didn’t need a phone company to fix the political debate, but they did notice who showed up.
Idea
The Other Referendum: Giving those without a vote, a voice.
We turned a London corner shop into a symbolic polling booth. We sent a text poll to 750,000 Lebara customers asking them to share how they would vote. We captured their voices through short social films and reactive content so that they could tell their side of the story.
As Lead Copywriter, I shaped the campaign’s tone and messaging, from the polling booth language and poll copy to the campaign endline, “think outside the ballot box”, encouraging people to remain open-minded when reading divisive and politically charged media headlines.
Strategic Impact
In a market dominated by price and promotions, this campaign helped Lebara occupy a different space: one of shared identity and trust. It’s a small but powerful example of how showing up for your audience in their defining moments can strengthen long-term brand perception and loyalty.
The campaign generated over 3.5 million impressions and gathered clear data: more than 80% of respondents said they would have voted Remain, with some nationalities over 90%.
Lebara was also invited to discuss the issue on The Morning Show on BBC, helping to elevate migrant perspectives in a polarised debate.
More importantly, the campaign was a visible act of allyship. For migrant audiences, it reinforced a sense of being visible, recognised, and understood — not just marketed to.
Credits:
Managing Partner: Josh Tenser
Creative Director: Nick Allsop
Creative/Copywriter: Ant Jackson
Head of Design: Eric Chia
Designer: Camille Magnan
Director: Kel Mitchell