FRIENDS X UNITED INFLUENCERS
FRIENDLY KEYCHAIN: Turning a simple gesture into a message against bullying.
As children head back to school, the first weeks can be filled with new friendships, new classes and new beginnings. But for some children, school starts with something very different: a feeling of not belonging.
According to Friends 2025 annual report, around three children in every class experience bullying. With the Friendly Keychain campaign, Friends wanted to bring attention to bullying and encourage more people to take a stand for themselves and others.
Together with United Influencers, the goal was to bring that message into social media in a way that felt personal, positive and relevant to families.
THE CHALLENGE
How do you communicate an important message about bullying and inclusion without making it feel heavy or distant?
For Friends, the school start was a natural moment to start the conversation. The challenge was to reach families where they already spend time, while finding creators who could speak about the issue with genuine credibility and personal relevance.
Rather than simply communicating what Friends stands for, the campaign needed to make the message feel tangible and easy to act on.
THE APPROACH
United Influencers carefully selected five creators with a personal connection to bullying, exclusion or the importance of standing up for others.
Jessica Mithanja, Christian Skogsgårdh, Caroline Sterner, Fia Linderström and Malin Sundqvist each brought their own experiences and perspectives to the campaign.
At the centre of the activation were three simple messages:
Säg hej. (Say hello)
Säg till. (Speak up)
Säg ifrån. (Stand up)
The creators integrated the message into their own content and shared stories that made the subject feel relatable and approachable. This allowed Friends’ message to reach audiences through voices they already know and trust, while keeping the focus on everyday actions that can make a difference.
As part of the campaign, audiences could support Friends’ work against bullying by making a donation of at least SEK 200 and receiving a Friendly Keychain to attach to their backpack. The keychain became a physical reminder of the campaign’s message: to stand up for yourself and others.
WHY CREATOR SELECTION MATTERED
For this campaign, reach was only one part of the equation.
The creators were selected because they had something meaningful to contribute to the conversation. Their personal experiences made it possible to communicate a sensitive subject with authenticity, while their relationships with their audiences helped bring the message into everyday social media content.
For United Influencers, this also raised a broader question about the role of creators in society.
Young people spend an increasing amount of time on social platforms, which means the creators and voices we choose to amplify can influence the conversations that take place there. Creator selection is therefore not only about audience size or performance metrics. It is also about relevance, credibility and the ability to make people listen.
THE IMPACT
The campaign brought Friends’ message around a kinder school start directly into the feeds of families, turning a complex and important issue into three simple actions that anyone can take.
Säg hej. Säg till. Säg ifrån.
Sometimes, a small gesture can mean much more than we think.
“Friendly Keychain was a project that felt particularly important to take on. For us, it was never only about finding creators with the right audience, but about finding people with something genuine to say. The five creators brought different experiences and perspectives to the campaign, but shared the same belief that small actions can make a difference”, Benjamin, Project Manager at United Influencers.
The Friendly Keychain campaign shows how creator-led storytelling can make an important social message more accessible. Friends connected a clear call to action with creators who had a genuine connection to the topic, turning awareness into something personal, tangible and easy to carry into everyday life.
Read more about the campaign here at Friends website.
PROJECT LEAD
BENJAMIN TJÄDER
Influencer Partnership Specialist
United Influencers Sweden
AUTHOR
LINA SALLANDER
Brand Marketing Specialist
& Influencer Researcher
United Influencers Sweden
FOR MORE INFORMATION
JAKOB WIGSELIUS
CEO
United Influencers Scandinavia
ELLE Norway