At election time Whybin\TBWA and St Matthew in the City remind public there was a time when women couldn’t vote with ‘chained Kate’ billboard
It’s November 2011 and the election has caused about as much real debate as a game of croquet.
Meanwhile, Europe is going ‘to hell in a hand-basket’ but never mind that, the All Blacks are World Champions, summer beckons, and all the National Party need to do to stay in power is turn up and not open their mouths.
It’ll be a miracle if more than 60% turn out to vote.
Says Andy Blood, group creative director of Whybin\TBWA Auckland: “In line with St Matthew’s cause of creating conversation around subjects that matter, we wanted to remind people that there was a time when 50% of the population weren’t even allowed to vote, and that people had to protest and suffer in order to get this ‘privilege’.
VIEW THE POSTER St Matthews Kate Sheppard.pdf
“St Matthew is apolitical, and don’t mind who people choose to vote for, just so long as they exercise their right to vote, so brought to life the story of Kate Sheppard.”
Kate Who?
Blood explained: “She’s the face that adorns every $10 note – yet few New Zealanders could name her. In fact, Kate led the women’s suffrage movement in NZ and was instrumental in making us the first country in the world to give women the vote.
Our Kate was chained to the billboard in the name of free speech.“
10 Comments
The message is spot on, but chaining a girl to the thing confuses the message. Less is more.
“She’s the face that adorns every $10 note – yet few New Zealanders could name her.”
Really?! Really?! Maybe that’s true of the people at TBWA, but the general population is more knowledgeable.
And still I don’t know what this billboard is trying to say. What’s up with the chick?
Oh TBWA you’re SO wise and clever! Thanks for pointing out to us ignorant New Zealanders who Kate Sheppard is.
“We chained an intern to the billboard in the name of winning an award, because we haven’t done that recently”.
Are award board images now being taken on Hipstamatic?
My God you lot are sad. As the saying goes, if you can’t say anything nice….
Good stuff Andy and co. Like it.
Really sick stuff from TBWA, and predictably sick too. Shades of B&D and battered women. Postfeminist trash and very scammy.
The chaining up is a genuine idea. It reminds people that universal suffrage was hard-won. So use the vote others fought to give you, darn it.
The billboard however, looks like shit and communicates screw all.
Also worth remembering that NZ has one of the highest voter turnouts of any country in the world where voting is not compulsory. So they’re not actually addressing a problem.
This is shite. Should have been stopped by the man at the top before it even left the office, let alone a layout pad.
Seriously, there are three ad schools in Auckland, any one of those students could have done a better idea.
And don’t even get me started on the art direction…
You people are embarrassing.
Why so angry? Client didn’t approve your latest supermarket wobbler?
One person at the agency stood around chained to a billboard. The rest came on here to defend their work. All in all a productive week for Whybins.