Wonderful World

PENNY, the German discount grocery chain, has unveiled its traditional year-end campaign, continuing the legacy of impactful storytelling established by award-winning campaigns such as “The Kids,” “The Rift,” and “The Wish.” Known for addressing significant societal issues, this year’s campaign, created by Serviceplan Neo, is no exception.

The 2024 campaign, titled “Wonderful World” shines a spotlight on the Förderpenny initiative, which has supported over 300,000 children and young people and 2,400 clubs since its inception in 2015, contributing more than €6 million in donations and prizes. PENNY has dedicated this year’s campaign entirely to celebrating the initiative and its contributors—volunteers, club members, and customers who round up their purchases to the nearest ten cents ('Stimmt-so'). Together, they’ve turned Förderpenny into a meaningful success story for young people across Germany.

The campaign includes two films (60 and 150 seconds) that immerse viewers in the everyday lives of selected Förderpenny-supported clubs. Scenes include a children’s orchestra before rehearsal, a child with cancer and their volunteer caregiver, a boy returning to football training, a scout group, and a dance class for individuals with Down syndrome. These heartfelt moments are set to a newly composed version of Louis Armstrong’s classic "What a Wonderful World." While the world isn’t always wonderful, the efforts of Förderpenny clubs help make life brighter for many children and young people.

“Our Förderpenny campaign is a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who makes this initiative possible,” said Stefan Görgens, COO of PENNY Germany. “This includes our customers who round up their purchases, as well as the volunteers and club members who dedicate themselves daily to making the world a better, more humane place. As a token of our appreciation, PENNY will double all 'Stimmt-so' donations from December 2 to December 31.”

The concept and implementation were handled by Serviceplan Neo. Christoph Everke, Creative Managing Director at Serviceplan Neo, explains: “To make the vital work of the Förderpenny initiative not only visible but tangible, we focused on authentic storytelling, portraying real-life situations of actual members. With 60- and 150-second formats, we’ve given these incredible stories the space they deserve.”

The 60-second film will be broadcast nationwide on TV and online platforms starting December 1. The 150-second version will be shown in cinemas, on YouTube, and at foerderpenny.de. Additional communication channels include the 2,130 PENNY stores across Germany and their in-store radio. The films were directed by novemba and produced by AKKURAT, agency producing by Serviceplan MAKE.