Kids These Days Are...

BRIEF

Romanian youth are facing growing uncertainty, limited opportunities, and declining trust in their future at home, leading many to consider leaving their hometowns—or even the country. As a bank committed to financial education and empowerment, BCR wanted to transform its brand promise, “Believe in yourself,” into tangible action.

The challenge was to launch ZBOR, Romania’s largest youth ecosystem of physical hubs, not simply as another youth program, but as a national movement that mobilizes communities, inspires confidence, attracts young people into real-life development spaces, and changes perceptions about the opportunities available to them in Romania.

SOLUTION

Deeply routed in a cultural expression filled with judgement: Kids these days (Tinerii din ziua de azi). 3 words (or 5 in Romanian) that have historically split generations. Three words filled with judgement and stereotypes, not confidence, nor support.

Our campaign mission - instead of correcting it, we used the expression Kids these days as a conversation starter to confront stereotypes, open dialogue and give young people a reason to join ZBOR.

To launch ZBOR as a national movement rather than a youth program, BCR sparked an intergenerational conversation about the realities facing young people in Romania. At the heart of the campaign was a cultural collaboration between Tudor Chirilă, whose iconic song “Am doar 18 ani” defined a generation, and Gen Z rapper Cojo, who together recreated the anthem through the lens of today’s youth challenges. The campaign exposed societal attitudes toward young people through a provocative teaser, then used the emotional power of the remake “Generații” to drive reflection and dialogue.