The Warehouse celebrates sustainability progress in new campaign via DDB Aotearoa
With a goal to become the most sustainable company in New Zealand, The Warehouse has launched the next chapter to the Sustainable & Affordable story by DDB Aotearoa NZ, showcasing the steps they’re taking on their journey to make it easier for Kiwis to live more sustainably.
The first campaign in the sustainability platform launched last September and saw huge shifts in the perception of the brand, which has demonstrated a commitment to taking responsibility for its impact on the environment.
The Warehouse was the first major New Zealand retailer to go carbon neutral in 2019 and recently took out top spot in a Colmar Brunton survey as the retailer consumers spontaneously identified as taking sustainability leadership.
There are now around 9,000 products on its shelves, each carrying at least one sustainable feature, like certified sustainable materials or packaging with reduced plastic and improved recyclability and reusability. More than half of these products are less than $20.
For 17 years The Warehouse has had an ethical sourcing programme in place to monitor its supply factories and ensure the people who help to make its products are cared for. The retailer is also a member of global sustainability programmes such as The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), the world’s largest cotton sustainability programme, and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) a non-profit organisation that promotes the responsible management of the world’s forests.
This year’s campaign focuses on these achievements, highlighting some of the key areas where The Warehouse has made great progress in making its products more sustainable and affordable for Kiwis.
The film follows a Warehouse staff member as she makes her way through the store, watching as products come to life on the shelves and an aisle is transformed into a forest.
Says Gary Steele, executive creative director, DDB Aotearoa: “Sustainability is an increasingly important focus for Kiwis so it’s great to be able to create a campaign that shows the real, tangible progress The Warehouse has made since we launched the Sustainable & Affordable platform last year.
“Sustainable & Affordable is a bold statement, and our latest campaign shows how The Warehouse is on a journey to live up to that.”
Jonathan Waecker, chief customer officer at The Warehouse says the company recognises the important role it has in encouraging, enabling, and supporting consumers to make more sustainable choices: “We believe that the decision to live sustainably shouldn’t have to cost more and by making sustainability accessible we have an opportunity to influence change.
“Of course, we recognise that there is still much more work to be done, but we are committed to becoming the most sustainable company in New Zealand and each small improvement takes us closer to achieving that goal. We’re proud to share the progress we’re making across the entire business with Aotearoa.”
The Warehouse campaign launched on 6 September with a 30” and 15” film, and is integrated across TV, digital and social.
In celebration of Māori language week this month and to continue The Warehouse’s commitment to communities throughout New Zealand, the new Sustainable & Affordable campaign has also been translated into Te Reo.
Client: The Warehouse Group
Chief Customer Officer – Jonathan Waecker
Tribe Lead, Customer Strategy – Andrew Stein
Chapter Lead, Marketing – Rachel Hitchcock
Chapter Lead, Creative Services – Troy Rawhiti-Connell
Chapter Member, Interactive Production – Rob Linkhorn
Agency: DDB Aotearoa
Executive Creative Director – Gary Steele
Senior Copywriter – Danny Brown
Senior Art Director – Ben Davidson
Group Business Director – Annabel Rees
Business Coordinator – Phebe Murison
TV Producer – Tabitha Parke-Gailey
Production company – Flying Fish
Director – Jason Bock
Executive Producer – Samantha Attenborough
Managing Director & Executive Producer – James Moore
Post Production – MANDY FX
Offline Editor – Alex O’Shaughnessy
Colourist – Tatic Prusnik
VFX – Leon Woods
Liquid Studios
Sound Engineer – Craig Matuschka
Music Composer – Pete Van Der Fluit
Media Agency: OMG
4 Comments
“20 million of the products you bought last year featured improved sustainability”. Improved sustainability? That’s one vague and empty statement. Oh, and the other 500 million things you bought were plastic AF. Washy. Washy.
It certainly is green washing, and that has massive appeal to consumers. Most don’t understand carbon this and footprints that. They know stuff needs to change but also understand change takes time.
I agree the warehouse still sell 95% unsustainable crap but they are selling a simple message of having made some progress and wanting to do better.
Simple consumers – which is the majority – will see it for what it is. A big oil tanker slowly slowly turning around for the betterment of the environment. Brand perception will be enhanced by green washing not impacted negatively.
I don’t blame DDB for this ad, I blame the client and its management team.
Some perspective: this is the company that in 1982 started bringing plastic crap into NZ and sold at a ridiculously cheap price. At the time it was amazing. NZ was a heavily regulated economy. Imports were expensive. There was nothing like this.
But as NZ changed they kept doing it, even when their founder left and tried to clear his conscience with a flurry of charities and helping startups.
Now, almost 40 years later with their founder long departed and a management team in constant rotation (and with flagging sales to boot!) they put out a tick box ad that’s so full of holes even my ten-year-old daughter was able to see through it when it first ran a few months ago.
How about this: Run a campaign where the Warehouse admits it’s responsible for bringing in shiploads of crap and now it’s trying to make amends with a commitment that’s better and more honest than what this shameful ad tries to talk around.
As they say, the truth shall set you free.
As I said, I don’t blame DDB, this ad is ok. It’s well-executed. It’s the brief and company I have an issue with.
Good luck TBWA.
This ad is wrong. Strategically. And morally. Strategically wrong can be forgiven. Morally wrong cannot.
No way should a company like the Warehouse do green ads from a high road position. The strategy behind this is as clear as a piece of glass. It is like the asbestos maker and the ciggarette manufacturers saying, “One day we will be good for your health.” But until then…
In today’s age of marketing authenticity, the Warehouse brand should not pretend, exagerate or imply green credentials. Agencies have responsibilities to consumers and their clients to be truthful and not fall into the category of wishful thinking.
Next we’ll see a TV ad telling us that a Big Mac is the new weight loss wonder.