Kia ora
We’re a collective of best in class thinkers and content makers who love to create engaging ideas that drive business results in this ever changing world.
We purposely operate free from a traditional bricks and mortar agency model which enables us to provide a more bespoke and cost effective service for our clients.
Before the razzle dazzle, comes strategic thinking. We solve business problems with ideas that connect you to your customers with memorable communications. It takes a combination of experience, enthusiasm and dagger-sharp instinct. We'll help you make every marketing decision a smart one, driving results that take your brand to new heights.
Humans are drawn to things that make them feel something. Even our most rational decisions are often driven by hidden emotions. That’s what we’re real experts in - understanding how to connect with people in a way that makes them want to connect back. We’ll help your brand inspire, empower, inform, assure, surprise, excite, and delight its way to becoming loved and trusted by your customers.
Our team of experts is scalable, but always best in class. This means we can efficiently solve problems, and produce ideas, for any given budget in any media channel. And, with speedboat responsive production, we can do it fast. We also play well with others, and embrace transparent ways of working. An open and honest collaboration is the best way to get the results we’re all striving for. It’s more enjoyable, too.
Funnily enough, Heads, Hearts, Hands is also how we approach the work. These three questions are a simple but effective framework to get started and a checklist to return to assess the work as it progresses. The only prerequisite is having a clear understanding of WHO the humans are you want to connect with – your audience.
What do you want people to
THINK?
What do you want people to
FEEL?
What do you want people to
DO?
WORK
Better seed, better feed,
better fence it well.
RAGT.
Noticing that many agricultural brands are getting their messages across with facts rather than fun, Seed Force, recently acquired by international seed company RAGT, needed to reintroduce itself to the market via a campaign with cut-through.
Featuring talking bogan possums (one of them voiced by Levi Hawken of ‘nek minute’ fame) and cows conspiring with sheep to get to the good stuff on the other side of the fence, we planted RATG firmly in Kiwi farmers minds.
Client: RAGT Agency: Plato
Ngati Wheke cultural storytelling.
SAIL GP.
We had a unique opportunity with SailGP to truly create something special. Respecting Te Tiriti and mana whenua, we partnered with Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke Rāpaki to create the video in a way that upholds mana and fosters understanding of Te Ao Māori.
When the local and global broadcast audience of more than 50 million people tuned in to watch the New Zealand SailGP Grand Prix, this was the opening video. The piece gives us a glimpse of the history of Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, Rapaki and their ancestor Te Rakiwhakaputa who claimed Whakaraupō for his descendants.
Client: Ngati Wheke, Christchurch NZ, Sail GP Agency: Plato
The Remarkables.
NZ SKI.
To re-ignite trans Tasman winter holiday makers' passion for skiing and boarding on NZSki fields we created a series of targeted emotionally driven brand films and TVC's. The campaign successfully shifted the business from relying on a retail focused marketing strategy only and attracted more ski holiday makers than ever before.
Client: NZ SKI
Moist.
DUAL GLAZE.
For Dual GLAZE™ consumer launch we used one of the world's most disliked words, ‘Moist’ to our advantage in this lighthearted TVC, digital and outdoor campaign. Product awareness skyrocketed and converted to a 30% increase in sales.
Client: Altus
It’s not what you know
it’s where you go.
AA AUTO CENTRE.
It turns out many Kiwi’s don’t know alot about their cars. In this campaign for AA Auto Centre we have a laugh about the knowledge gap and reassure car owners in need of servicing, WOF’s or repairs we have the highest number of qualified technicians alongside open and transparent pricing. After all when it comes to cars - ‘It's not what you know, it’s where you go’.
Client: AA Auto Centre Agency: Spitfire
Secret diary of a call girl.
PRIME TV.
DJs love to talk. So to promote the season premiere of TV show ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’ we gave them something well worth talking about: a high-class, S&M savvy call girl working from a bedroom directly opposite their studio window. Of course they couldn’t help but broadcast their saucy observations to the world and as predicted other stations immediately picked up on the story. Then on premiere night with public interest at its peak, our actress slowly closed the blinds on her eager audience and revealed this message: ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl. 9:35 Tonight on Prime’.
Client: Prime TV Agency: FCB
No more beersies.
NZ HEALTH PROMOTION AGENCY.
The Health Promotion Agency wanted an effective campaign to help change drinking behaviour. The big idea centred on making it socially acceptable to refuse a drink by saying no in a positive way. The problem was, saying no when you’re with your mates. The campaign could not ostracise the drinker saying no, nor could it demonise the friend who always encourages you to have another. The creative execution worked its way around this issue by looking like a classic beer ad, packed full of mischief and banter that went hand in hand with the togetherness the target market aspired to.
The twist was the hero swaps his beer for water and proceeds to have a great night out regardless. The clever tag line (Yeah ... I’m up for a good night, but nah, I’m not having another beer) and the sound track from Meatloaf instantly resonated with the audience.
It wasn’t just the ‘yeah, nah’ call to say no that became memorable. It was the “ok bro, no more beersies for you” that became embedded in the New Zealand vernacular. We successfully armed the refuser with a positive way of saying no that gets a smile from their mates, rather than being a buzz kill.
Client: NZ Health Promotion Agency Agency: FCB
The Devil’s Chair.
NZI INSURANCE.
The primary focus was for the brand to get noticed and more importantly liked - a tough task given insurance is typically one of the dullest, least-engaging categories out there. NZI understands
New Zealand and the issues faced by Kiwi businesses - but we needed to show this in a memorable and unique way. To do this we created and animated the quintessential Kiwi town called Port Avon.
The town was a mix of Port Chalmers, Banks Peninsula and a bit of Te Kuiti and used the problematic ’devils chair' as a metaphor for the ever-present risk businesses face.
The campaign was extended in print and radio by introducing other unassuming evil items found in most businesses.
Client: NZI Agency: FCB
Meet the meat of your dreams.
PAK’N SAVE.
When you’re constantly banging on about your low prices you need to find new ways to get cut through. For PAKn’SAVE’s meat sale we created a campaign that re-ignited the Kiwi love affair with meat and also reaffirmed PAKn’SAVE’s passion for low prices. Meat Lovers Week - Where you can meet the meat of your dreams… for less. And when lonely carnivores called the 0800 number, real meat was waiting to talk to them.
Client: Pak’n Save, Foodstuffs NZ Agency: FCB
Energy made wonderful.
MERCURY ENERGY.
Energy Made Wonderful integrated campaign made Mercury’s invisible product tangible to customers by demonstrating its benefits via electronic bicycles. With a creative strategy designed to inspire customers and employees alike, Mercury transformed the way customers thought about energy. In addition to creating successful partnerships with electric bike suppliers and retailers, the company ultimately increased customer retention, acquisition and staff engagement in a short period of time.
Client: Mercury Energy Agency: FCB
Defy.
SONY.
To demonstrate the power of Sony's new Extra Bass speaker, we teamed up with Macy Baez, a hip-hop dancer born profoundly deaf, who moves by feeling the vibrations of the bass. We composed an original bass-heavy track especially for Macy, and then showcased her dancing with a music video powered by the Extra Bass speaker. The music video was supported by additional emotionally engaging content, including Macy's backstory, a look behind the scenes of the project, and a surprise meeting between Macy and her idol, renowned choreographer Parris Goebel. Within the first week, the videos had been viewed over 3 million times, engaged with 75% of our target audience in Australasia, and increased sales of the product by 31%.
Client: Sony Agency: FCB
Get there early.
VW GOLF GTI.
To launch the all new Golf GTI we leveraged VW’s sponsorship of the NZ Olympic hockey team. The campaign features team captain Simon Child toying with the features of his Golf GTI after arriving to the hockey turf a little early. The main spot features Child tapping the steering wheel with his thumbs, moving the windows up and down with his keys, adjusting the mirror with his hockey stick, putting dance music and then humorously pushing his nose against the window’s glass as it winds up. A second, shorter clip has him tapping the steering wheel as he hums the national anthem.
Client: Volkswagen Agency: FCB
