Gen-Z privacy issues take centre stage on new VTSS-led campaign

The famous café – typically known for its layered cakes and historical charm – was transformed into a glitchy parallel world, staged for the German telecoms company's Own Your World campaign, reimagined alongside techno beats, taupe jumpsuits, and the sense of digital surveillance.

Launched in partnership with VTSS and creative duo Shadrinsky, the campaign tackles concerns around digital privacy. The activation centred on the music video premiere of "Can’t Catch Me," where audiences see VTSS lose control of her digital double, showcasing how Gen Z’s online selves can outrun their real-world presence.

“Gen Z is the first generation to grow up fully online,” explained Deutsche Telekom, during a Q&A following the screening. “But they’re also the generation that feels least confident managing their digital privacy. This campaign is about helping them take that control back.”

Deutsche Telekom's research found that while over 90% of Gen Z respondents across Europe express concern about their digital privacy, fewer than 7% feel confident in navigating it. To address the apprehension, Telekom has launched ownyourworld.online, a platform featuring a series of digital masterclasses led by VTSS and a cast of creators.

Each session unpacks topics such as data tracking, algorithmic control, creative theft, and how platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube shape what we see. The videos offer steps for viewers to take control of their digital lives.

For VTSS – born Martyna Maja – the themes at the heart of the campaign were already embedded in her musical projects. “If you look deep enough into my discography…there were a lot of track titles that were identity-based," explains Maja, "so there were projects called Self Control and Identity Versus. Those topics were always really close to me. As an artist, you lose yourself quite a lot online."

Her collaboration with Shadrinsky the Paris-based creative team known for their lo-fi aesthetic, fixation with surveillance-inspired content and work for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Jean Paul Gaultier and MSCHF – has resulted in a visual with a soundtrack created with Charli XCX-producer Hudson Mohawke. "Can’t Catch Me" is consciously disorienting, featuring surveillance camera views and eerie doubles, portraying a reality where online identity begins to take on a life of its own. "I think it's really important that the new generation learns how to clear their algorithms," says Maja.

The event blurred the lines between performance and message throughout, as uniformed doppelgängers walked silently through the café. Later in the evening, VTSS took to the stage for a live set.