When branding becomes activism: how OMSE helped B416 fight to protect a generation

The London-based studio has built brands for businesses, campaigns, and causes. But their work with B416 – a New Zealand movement fighting to raise the minimum age for social media from 13 to 16 – might be their most important yet.

Written By: Katy Cowan

24 March 2026

OMSE's work for B416 did something design campaigns almost never get to claim: it changed the law. The brief came from Before 16, a grassroots campaign pushing back against the addictive algorithms that have contributed to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm among teenagers worldwide. The minimum age for social media has sat at 13 for years – a number that made sense once, in a different version of the internet, before the platforms we know today existed. Before 16 wanted to change that, but they needed a brand that could turn a passionate cause into a credible movement.

OMSE's solution started with a bit of lateral thinking. Age ratings have quietly done enormous work for decades. When you look at film, TV, and gaming, the systems in place signal, "Sorry, but this isn't for you yet," without much argument. It's a clear visual language people already understand and largely trust.

B416 website homepage displaying bold black text reading "Backing Parents Protecting Childhood" with navigation menu and call-to-action buttons

Person with short dyed blonde and pink hair wearing glasses and a colourful striped jumper, holding a brown and white cat

So OMSE compressed the campaign name to B416, creating a symbol that functions like a new kind of content rating: instantly legible and yet scalable as the movement grows. It's rooted in something familiar enough to feel authoritative. Like it's been around for decades.

The campaign that grew around it didn't soften its edges. Headlines like "What Happens Online Shapes Offline" and "Don't Let 'Likes' Replace Love" led the charge and are direct, emotionally resonant messages, making them impossible to misread. Accompanying photography by Anna Breit made it all come to life, putting young models front and centre to add further impact.

Then came the sharper strategic move: a collaboration with digital studio Mata to build a tool that "filters" harmful social media content, using the platforms' own visual language to advocate for their reform. It gave B416 an endless supply of striking content.

Grid of six Instagram posts from B416 campaign showing activism messaging, portraits, sunset imagery and typography promoting the movement to raise social media age limit to 16

Large outdoor billboard on an industrial building displaying B416's "Save Social From Media" campaign message against a clear blue sky

B416 hit its target of 45,000 petition signatures, secured funding for a nationwide campaign, and – most significantly – prompted a change in the law now before parliament.

Flicka Williams, co-founder of B416, puts it simply: "OMSE don't just create a brand; they help you find your voice, clarify your purpose, and amplify your impact. Working with them has transformed B416 from a passionate campaign into a powerful, credible movement."