WhatsApp's global campaign proves your messages are truly private

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Meta-owned app WhatsApp has launched its largest global campaign to date titled “Not even WhatsApp". The campaign spotlights the platform’s end-to-end encryption by reminding users that no one, not even WhatsApp, can access their personal messages.

The campaign rolled out globally this week with a TV spot directed by Australian filmmaker Mark Molloy and produced by Smuggler. Shot across locations in Mexico City and Sydney, the 60-second ad flips the camera to WhatsApp’s perspective, on the other side of the screen, where viewers can see the people communicating, but not the content of their messages.

The visual metaphor drives home the idea that even the most ordinary exchanges, voice notes, selfies, triple-texts, and late-night confessions, are entirely private.

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The campaign was developed in partnership with WEST BBDO and will roll out across the US, UK, Brazil, Mexico, and India. It will run across TV, online video, digital, out-of-home, and audio platforms. Regional adaptations include Bollywood star Aamir Khan voicing the Indian version in both Hindi and English.

According to WhatsApp, the push comes on the heels of a new privacy feature, 'advanced chat privacy', which gives users more control over content visibility in both individual and group chats. This adds to a suite of privacy tools including 'privacy checkup', designed to help users customise security settings with step-by-step guidance.

"WhatsApp is the next best thing to an in-person conversation. This campaign brings to life our privacy promise that no one, not even WhatsApp can see or hear your personal messages in the most emotional and relatable way, all centered in the everyday moments we are all so familiar with," said Vivian Odior, head of marketing at WhatsApp.

In tandem, Matt Miller, CEO and CCO of WEST BBDO said, "We wanted to capture the beauty in the everyday chaos of messaging, the weird voice notes, the emotional late-night texts, the stuff you only share because you know it’s private. That’s the power of WhatsApp, and that’s what this campaign is all about, trust, intimacy, and total freedom to be yourself."

With over 3 billion monthly users, WhatsApp aims to frame the campaign as a reminder of its encryption-first approach amid growing scrutiny around data privacy in digital communications. A recent Ipsos study, "Understanding Asia", found that fears around AI, digital privacy, and data security remain high across the region. Seven in 10 APAC consumers expressed concern about how companies collect their information, with worry peaking in the Philippines (86%), Thailand (81%), and Singapore (81%).

As brands push for greater personalisation of services, they will need to be mindful to find the balance between making it easier for their customers to find new products but also ensure that their privacy is being respected. This includes the need to develop and communicate robust privacy measures and build trust and maintain consumer confidence, said the study.

However, even as companies acknowledge the need for stronger privacy commitments, the path forward appears to remain murky, especially when industry giants themselves are seemingly struggling to align innovation with regulation. Google recently hit pause on its long-promised phase-out of third-party cookies in Chrome, citing regulatory complexity and pushback from the industry. While Google says user choice remains central, the delay has reignited criticism over outdated tracking practices that feel increasingly out of step with consumer expectations.

Experts say this offers advertisers only short-term continuity, with the broader industry still moving toward privacy-first strategies, from first-party data to contextual targeting and AI-driven personalisation. In this environment, future-ready brands are being urged to prioritise transparency, consent, and accountability in every interaction.

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