The European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) brought together high-level EU policymakers, agency executives, and civil society leaders last night for an exclusive dinner in Strasbourg to celebrate the launch of #Campaign4Good, a pioneering competition to champion children’s safety online through the power of responsible advertising.
The dinner marked a major milestone in EACA’s ongoing efforts to put advertising at the heart of the European Union’s social and digital agendas. Among the guests of honour were Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Brando Benifei, Vice-Chair of the Intergroup on Children’s Rights and MEP Dóra Dávid, shadow rapporteur of Protection of Minors Online (2025/2060 (INI))” — own-initiative report of the European Parliament, as well as six further MEPs from four different parties and seven countries, MEP policy advisors, NGO leaders and senior figures from the advertising and media industries.
“I think that the creative industry has a unique opportunity at this moment. You shape the commercial environments that children encounter daily. Your choices can frame how we reach younger audiences, how we respect their development, and how we build trust with families, all of which define whether our regulatory frameworks will work or not. We need culture, we need commitment, if we want our rules to work. (…) This #C4G competition is a means for us to promote them and make it more evident that we can have this new approach,” stated MEP Brando Benifei.
In her speech, MEP Dóra Dávid highlighted, “We all agree on that goal, but it’s also very, very important that all stakeholders share responsibility in this: parents, platforms, governments, and also industry, and of course youth themselves. I’m very grateful that we’re involving the voice of youth. A key part is also industry, which is why we very much welcome initiatives like this (#Campaign4Good). I think we need all hands on deck, so let’s continue the work and collaboration.”
Throughout the evening, guests heard from members of the EACA Young Board — a group of emerging agency professionals who developed the campaign brief — as well as from campaign partners Manon Letouche, head of EU affairs at 5Rights Foundation, and Isabel Kurata, co-founder of ACT Responsible, all underscoring the urgency of cross-border, purpose-driven action to protect children’s rights online.
“In Europe, over 81 million children interact with digital products every day. They are growing up in a digital ecosystem that is advancing faster than the development of laws, parenting tools, and even public awareness. While the digital world offers incredible opportunities for connection, learning and play, it also poses risks that are not sufficiently regulated or acknowledged, especially to young developing minds,” underlined Manon Letouche from 5Rights Foundation.
“The stats shared by the 5Rights Foundation are very scary. If digital spaces are unsafe, then childhood itself is unsafe. The good news is that Europe is acting. […] But laws and rules alone will not solve this. Industry must play its part. Agencies are not bystanders. We are the storytellers, the designers, the creators of messages that citizens (and children) see every day. And we believe that with creative power comes responsibility”, stated EACA CEO Charley Stoney in her welcome speech. “This collaboration between the EU, 5Rights, CAN and ACT Responsible is a superb example of the strength of the collective when tackling one of the biggest social challenges of our time.”
With the Digital Services Act now in full effect and new EU guidelines placing the protection of minors high on the legislative agenda, #Campaign4Good positions EACA and its members as active contributors to Europe’s digital future: one that puts well-being, equity, and accountability at the heart of the online experience.
The initiative challenges early-career agency professionals to create a campaign that exposes the harms of exploitative digital design and inspires collective action. The winning idea will be developed into a campaign that will go live across Europe in 2026 and presented in Cannes Lions 2026.
The winning campaign will be announced at the Effie Europe Gala Dinner in Brussels on 10 December 2025, where it will be presented by Commissioner Michael McGrath, responsible for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.