FCB and FENZ part company on a high note

FCB NZ was awarded an Integrated Spike (one of only three awarded) at the Spikes Asia Awards last week and a Bronze in Print and Publishing for its “Firefighters Don’t Like Fire Movies” campaign.

These awards add to the host of accolades that the agency has picked up in recognition of the effectiveness of their campaigns over the seven year partnership they have had with Fire and Emergency NZ.

This news is bittersweet as FCB learned it had been unsuccessful in retaining the business after separately run creative and media pitch processes in November last year with Motion Sickness being announced as the new lead agency at the beginning of the week.

Says Sean Keaney, managing director, FCB Wellington: “We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done over the last 7+ years to promote fire safety. Despite not retaining the business, it’s extremely rewarding knowing that our work made a significant contribution to increasing smoke alarm installation and ensuring households had a plan to escape a house fire. Everyone who has worked on this client is very proud of that.”

FCB’s impact has been recognised both internationally and in NZ including at the Effies, TVNZ Marketing Awards, Axis, BEST Awards, NZDM’s and the Beacons, where the most recent success was a Best in Show for “Fire Doesn’t Wait” in 2021.

Adds Keaney: “We’re obviously disappointed and saddened that our relationship has come to an end and wish to thank all of those that we’ve worked with at FENZ over the years with trusting us with this important mahi. We’re also grateful to our industry partners who recognised that these sorts of campaigns save lives and helped us and FENZ build this legacy work. We wish Motion Sickness well in continuing to encourage Kiwis to protect themselves against fires.”