Howatson + Company & Vodafone: Kids won’t answer a parent’s text, so how about a mural?
Howatson + Company & Vodafone: Kids won’t answer a parent’s text, so how about a mural?July 21, 2026The unanswered text is one of the most universal sources of parental anxiety. When Vodafone did the. . .
Howatson + Company & Vodafone: Kids won’t answer a parent’s text, so how about a mural?July 21, 2026The unanswered text is one of the most universal sources of parental anxiety. When Vodafone did the research, it found that 92% of Australian parents worry when they haven’t heard from their child, with almost a third saying they worry when they don’t get a reply to a text message. Vodafone and Howatson+Company decided to do something about it. According to Vodafone, parents say they spend anywhere from five minutes to over an hour a day wondering whether their kid will call the back, with 36% taking five minutes, 29 per cent taking 10 minutes and 15 per cent going silent for 20 minutes or more. The campaign highlights how desperate times can call for desperate measures, with parents willing to go to outrageous lengths just to get their kids to call them back. In a bold and hilarious bid to get ignored text and calls returned, three real mums and dads now appear on giant murals outside universities across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Their not-so-quiet plea? Just call me back. Bec Darley, group chief marketing officer at Vodafone, stated, “We know how important it is to stay connected to our loved ones. This new campaign is designed to show kids just how much their parents want a simple text or call back. The good news is that our student plans offer unlimited calls and texts so kids can stop ghosting their parents and drop them a call or message. ”Richard Shaw, Deputy CCO at Howatson+Company, added, “As soon as you move out of home, you have less contact with your parents and often don’t reply to messages as much as you should. “Did you get my mural?” is a cheeky reminder to students (and other parents) about the fact you get unlimited call and text – so just use it!”“Did you get my mural?” runs in OOH and content targeting parents and students. The campaign is supported by Vodafone’s student mobile offer, available from 1 July – 200GB for AU$35 a month on its Small SIM Only plan for the first 12 months (then AU$58 per month), including unlimited standard national calls and texts, and unlimited standard international calls to 37 destinations. CreditsClient: VodafoneGroup Chief Marketing Officer, TPG Telecom: Bec DarleyHead of Brand and Marketing: Lisa CroninMarketing Lead Vodafone – Prepaid, Postpaid and Fixed: Aggie PadillaSenior Marketing Manager: Rianne SchuwerCreative Agency: Howatson+CompanyChief Executive Officer & Founder: Chris HowatsonChief Client Officer: Katherine ChenSenior Business Director: Juliet LoneraganSenior Business Manager: Beth TootillExecutive Strategy Director: Katharina VassarStrategy Director: Jade HickeyDeputy Chief Creative Officer: Richard ShawArt Director: Jake RowlandCopywriter: Cindy DiepChief Design Officer: Ellena Mills-StainerHead of Design: Trent MichaelDesigner: Harry ChambersStudio Lead: Simon MerrifieldHead of Production: Holly AlexanderProducer: Charlotte BreeneGroup PR and Influencer Director: Michael RossiterPR and Influencer Account Manager: Grace PowersMedia Partner: Apparition MediaShare