Pi by MTN

Tasked with creating a brand for a generation that lives a large portion of its life online, M+C Saatchi Abel partnered with Africa’s telecommunications leader MTN to launch Pi by MTN, a digital-first brand built to reshape how modern South Africans manage their mobile and home connectivity.

M+C Saatchi Abel moved away from traditional telco marketing, developing a brand identity designed to exist natively in digital spaces, precisely to ensure a seamless user experience for customers.

The campaign is more than a product launch. It is the birth of a brand, designed to differentiate itself in a saturated telecoms market on digital-first principles for customers by offering greater convenience, control, flexibility, and value. Customers can easily manage their mobile and home connectivity online through one intuitive account designed for the entire household or family, with flexible month-to-month plans and guaranteed discounts when adding 4 or more lines. Pi by MTN delivers a simpler, smarter and easier way to manage mobile and home connectivity.

“Morumo Maleka Senior Manager – GTM Postpaid and Residential at MTN noted that the launch, the first of its kind in the telecommunications market, needed to prioritise flexibility. “With no long-term contracts and the ability to adjust plans as life changes, Pi by MTN addresses the real-world need for month-to-month freedom. The campaign needed to position Pi by MTN as the easiest, most seamless way to access both mobile and home internet, removing the complexity traditionally associated with connectivity.”

The campaign is designed around modern family dynamics. The strategy is built on the insight that modern life is non-linear, and so Pi by MTN caters to fluid family structures.

Modern homes are often multi-device ecosystems where connectivity is essential, and so Pi by MTN offers a 20% saving when customers add four or more lines to their account, providing practical value for larger, connected households.

“The goal was to build a brand that feels as flexible as the lives of our customers,” says Masego Motsogi, Managing Director at M+C Saatchi Abel. “This isn't just about data, it’s about control. We wanted the campaign to reflect that simplicity. ‘Easy as Pi’ isn't just a tagline, it was our guiding design principle.”

To celebrate the launch, the first 100,000 customers who sign up receive 20GB of data for only R1 per month, for the first three months. The Pi by MTN launch campaign kicked off in April and will run until December, after which it will transition into an always-on phase.