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  • SUB CATEGORY :
    USE OF DIGITAL & SOCIAL PLATFORMS
  • COMPANY ENTERING :
    TBWA, SYDNEY
  • TITLE :
    PLAY NZ
  • BRAND :
    TOURISM NEW ZEALAND
  • ADVERTISER :
    TOURISM NEW ZEALAND
  • AGENCY :
    TBWA, SYDNEY
  • CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER :
    ANDY DILALLO
  • EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR :
    GRANT MCALOON
  • CREATIVE DIRECTOR :
    KATRINA ALVAREZ-JARRATT
  • COPYWRITER :
    GRANT MCALOON/JAMES SEXTON/NEV FORDYCE/
    MIKE BURDICK/DOUG HAMILTON
  • ART DIRECTOR :
    ANDREW TORRISI
  • AGENCY PRODUCER :
    LAUREN REILLY/CHARLOTTE O'ROURKE/
    SAVANNAH ANSELINE/YASSIN GHOMARI
  • HEAD OF DESIGN :
    CHRIS MAWSON
  • HEAD OF PRODUCTION :
    LISA BROWN
  • ACCOUNT DIRECTOR :
    HELEN CAMPBELL-BORTON
  • ACCOUNT MANAGER :
    LAUREN BLACK
  • STRATEGIC PLANNING DIRECTOR :
    MATTHEW MORAN
  • MEDIA AGENCY :
    MINDSHARE, SYDNEY
  • PR AGENCY :
    ELEVEN PR, SYDNEY
  • GENERAL MANAGER :
    FIONA MILLIKEN
  • EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR :
    RUSS TUCKER
  • PR DIRECTOR :
    BRENDA CHAN
  • PR MANAGER :
    REEGAN SAIANI
  • EXECUTIVE PR :
    EKALA TAREI
  • PR SPECIALIST :
    LAUREN DAVID
  • FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :
    AIRBAG, MELBOURNE
  • MANAGING PARTNER :
    ADRIAN BOSICH
  • DIRECTOR :
    UNCLE FRIENDLY
  • CINEMATOGRAPHER :
    CRIGHTON BONE
  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER :
    ALEX TIZZARD
  • PRODUCTION MANAGER :
    MEGAN AYERS
  • POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY :
    ARC EDIT, SYDNEY/BOLT, SYDNEY
  • EDITOR :
    LUCAS BAYNES/ANDY K/LACHLAN FRENCH
  • SOUND PRODUCTION COMPANY :
    OTIS STUDIOS, SYDNEY/BOLT, SYDNEY
  • SOUND DESIGNER :
    BEAU SILVESTER
  • CAMPAIGN SUMMARY :
    TO KEEP NEW ZEALAND TOP OF MIND IN A LOCKED DOWN WORLD,
    WE CREATED A TOURISM EXPERIENCE THAT SHOWCASED THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF NEW ZEALAND’S PEOPLE, PLACES AND CULTURE. WITH ONLINE GAMING SPIKING AND PEOPLE STUCK AT HOME, WE NEEDED A WAY TO ENGAGE THAT WOULD GIVE AN ADVENTURE-STARVED AUDIENCE A TRAVEL HIT AND BOOST DESIRABILITY TO TRAVEL TO NEW ZEALAND.
    WE SPOKE TO A YOUNGER AUDIENCE, THE ‘FIRST TO FLY’ 20–35-YEAR-OLD DEMOGRAPHIC WHO HAD SPENT THEIR LOCKDOWN TRAPPED AT HOME AND ONLINE GAMING TO SLAKE THEIR THIRST FOR ADVENTURE.
    WE DECIDED TO MARKET THE ENTIRE COUNTRY LIKE A GAME. PLAY NZ IS A RICH BRAND EXPERIENCE THAT NOT ONLY SHOWCASED THE COUNTRY,
    IT GAVE PEOPLE A PLAYFUL, INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE FEATURING AUTHENTIC INFLUENCERS. LAUNCHED WITH A LIVE STREAM ON TWITCH, GAMING INFLUENCER LOSERFRUIT LED THOUSANDS ON AN HOURLONG JOURNEY THROUGH THE BEST BITS OF NEW ZEALAND AND FEATURED A “GAMER WALKTHROUGH” WHERE SHE “PLAYED” THE COUNTRY AND INTERACTED LIVE WITH FOLLOWERS. THE WALKTHROUGH FILM WAS HOUSED ON YOUTUBE AND THE VEHICLE OF GAMING ALLOWED US TO SHARE NEW ZEALAND’S UNIQUE EXPERIENCES, PEOPLE AND EVEN CULTURE. EVERY CHANNEL DELIBERATELY TARGETED GAMING MEDIA, MIMICKING AN ONLINE GAME LAUNCH. FROM TEASERS AND TRAILERS THAT HINTED AT THE COMING “GAME” TO GAMER REVIEWS. OF COURSE, MARKETING THE WHOLE COUNTRY LIKE A GAME GARNERED PLENTY OF PR INTEREST AS WELL – BROADENING OUR AUDIENCE FROM HARDCORE GAMERS TO THE PLAYFUL AT HEART. FINALLY, WE INVITED FUTURE TRAVELLERS TO AN IMMERSIVE HUB WHERE THEY COULD EXPLORE
    18 X VR180° FILMS – ENCOURAGING ITINERARY-BUILDING BEHAVIOURS.
    ALL OF WHICH LED TO INTENT TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND POST LOCKDOWN INCREASING BY +387%* AND WE MAINTAINED THE #1 POSITION AS THE PREFERRED DESTINATION FOR AUSSIE TRAVELLERS**. *FACEBOOK BRAND LIFT STUDY VS. ASIA PACIFIC UPLIFT BENCHMARK **TOURISM NEW ZEALAND AC MONITOR
  • THE BRIEF :
    2020 HAS BEEN A DEVASTATING YEAR FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TOURISM INDUSTRY. THE PANDEMIC HAS CLOSED INTERNATIONAL BORDERS AND TOURISM AS WE KNOW IT IS ON HOLD. WITH NEW ZEALAND THE #1 OUTBOUND DESTINATION FOR AUSSIE TRAVELLERS, WE HAD A VERY REAL RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP TRAVELLERS CONNECTED TO OUR PEOPLE AND PLACE WHILE INTERNATIONAL BORDERS REMAINED CLOSED. PRE-COVID, WE ALSO FACED A UNIQUE CHALLENGE. THE 100% PURE NEW ZEALAND BRAND WAS FACING INCREASING PRESSURE FROM UP-AND-COMING DESTINATIONS SUCH AS JAPAN, AND THE LOCALLY TRENDING OPTIONS LIKE SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA WHICH WERE QUICKLY RISING ON TRAVELLERS’ PREFERENCE LISTS. WE HAD TO DEFEND OUR #1 POSITION, INCREASE BRAND PREFERENCE AND KEEP NEW ZEALAND TOP OF MIND IN A LOCKED DOWN WORLD.
  • THE STRATEGY :
    BUT IN A TIME OF OVERUSED COVID CLICHES WE CHOSE TO DO SOMETHING BOLD AND DISRUPTIVE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH TRAVELLERS. SO, WE TOOK THE PATH LESS TRAVELLED TO FIND A UNIQUE AUDIENCE TRUTH. THE GAMING AUDIENCE WAS WELL ESTABLISHED BEFORE COVID-19 – ALREADY THE #1 FORM OF DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT IN AUSTRALIA. AS GLOBAL LOCKDOWNS FORCED THE WORLD TO SPEND MORE TIME INDOORS, WE SAW GAMING AND GAME-STREAMING SKYROCKET BY OVER 75%. GAMING IN ISOLATION BECAME AN ESCAPE WHILE HELPING PEOPLE CONNECT WITH OTHERS, PEOPLE WERE FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO INCORPORATE PLAY INTO THEIR EVERYDAY INTERACTIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT. MAKING THE NOTION OF “PLAY TIME” UNIVERSALLY EMBRACED AND ENCOURAGED. BEYOND THE GROWING SIZE OF THIS AUDIENCE, OUR RESEARCH ALSO SHOWED US THAT GAMERS HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WITH TRAVELLERS, DESPITE THE OUTDATED STEREOTYPES WE OFTEN PLACE ON THEM. GAMING AND TRAVEL GO HAND-IN-HAND, BOTH ARE ABOUT EXPLORATION, CONNECTION AND ADVENTURE. SO, WE SET OUT TO ADDRESS THIS AUDIENCE IN THEIR CONTEXT AND INVITE THEM TO SEE NEW ZEALAND IN A NEW LIGHT.
  • THE EXECUTION :
    WE DECIDED TO MARKET THE ENTIRE COUNTRY LIKE A VIDEO GAME
    – A “GAME” CALLED PLAY NZ. FOR A HUGE LAUNCH MOMENT WE PARTNERED WITH TWITCH, AND AUSTRALIAN GAMING HEAVYWEIGHT LOSERFRUIT (4.7 MILLION+ FOLLOWERS). HER LIVE WALKTHROUGH HAD THOUSANDS WATCHING FOR OVER AN HOUR, A WORLD-FIRST TOURISM EXPERIENCE. SHE TEASED THE CONTENT ON HER SOCIAL PLATFORMS IN THE LEAD-UP TO LAUNCH, THEN "PLAYED" THE COUNTRY, EARNING POINTS THROUGH EACH CHALLENGE AND INTERACTING WITH HER FOLLOWERS. TO EXTEND THE CAMPAIGN WE HOUSED THE NINE-MINUTE “GAMER WALKTHROUGH” ON YOUTUBE. THE FILM ITSELF WAS ABLE TO SHOWCASE UNIQUE EXPERIENCES THAT SET NEW ZEALAND APART FROM OTHER DESTINATIONS. AND, OF COURSE, NO GAME LAUNCH WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT TEASERS AND TRAILER FILMS, DIGITAL BANNERS AND IN-APP ADS, ALL OF WHICH WERE PLACED IN GAMING MEDIA CHANNELS AND FEATURED REAL GAMERS’ REVIEWS. THE CAMPAIGN GARNERED A WEALTH OF PR INTEREST ACROSS ONLINE GAMING PUBLICATIONS, AND IN MAINSTREAM CHANNELS SUCH AS FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. GIVING PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIVE DEEPER, EVERY TOUCHPOINT DROVE FUTURE TRAVELLERS TO THE PLAY NZ IMMERSIVE HUB WHERE THEY WERE MET WITH 18X VR180° QUEST FILMS AIMED AT INSPIRING FUTURE ITINERARIES FOR WHEN THE BORDERS OFFICIALLY REOPEN.
  • THE RESULT :
    INTENT TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND POST LOCKDOWN INCREASED BY +387%* AND WE MAINTAINED OUR #1 POSITION AS THE PREFERRED DESTINATION FOR AUSSIE TRAVELLERS**. IN ADDITION, WE’VE ALREADY SEEN A SHIFT IN OUR BRAND METRICS WITH A 53% LIFT IN AD RECALL AND A 10% LIFT IN FAVOURABILITY. CAMPAIGN ENGAGEMENT IS ALSO HIGH; WE REACHED OVER 100 MILLION PEOPLE AND OUR FILMS HAVE OVER 15 MILLION VIEWS. OUR PR COVERAGE HAS A UNIVERSALLY POSITIVE SENTIMENT WITH 130+ UNIQUE EARNED ARTICLES. OUR LIVE TWITCH LAUNCH REACHED THOUSANDS OF DIE-HARD GAMERS AND OUR GAMER WALKTHROUGH FILM HAS SINCE REACHED OVER 3.5 MILLION WHILE RECEIVING LOTS OF “POGS” IN THE COMMENTS – THAT’S GAME CHAT FOR COOL. AND FINALLY, ONE OF THE CORE GOALS OF THIS CAMPAIGN WAS TO ENCOURAGE GAMERS AND TRAVELLERS TO PLAY NZ ONLINE – WE’VE ACHIEVED AN AVERAGE WEBSITE DWELL TIME OF OVER NINE MINUTES (280% ABOVE BENCHMARK) AND A 37% INCREASE IN USER INTERACTION ON OUR WEBSITE CONTENT. PLEASE NOTE; AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS CAMPAIGN IS STILL LIVE. *FACEBOOK BRAND LIFT STUDY VS. ASIA PACIFIC UPLIFT BENCHMARK **TOURISM NEW ZEALAND AC MONITOR
  • URL :
    HTTP://PLAYNZ.COM